Neighbors. Macoupin County Housing Authority FROM THE DIRECTOR S DESK

Transcription

1 Neighbors OCTOBER 2016 VOLUME 21, ISSUE 10 Macoupin County Housing Authority FROM THE DIRECTOR S DESK October is Fire Prevention Month, there is some useful information about Fire Safety inside. Remember, if you have a fire OF ANY SORT at your apartment, it HAS to be reported to the office. Not doing so will result in an eviction. Fall is officially here! You are welcome to decorate for the holidays, just be sure to take them back down in a timely manner. As stated in the Pet Policy, Residents are responsible for all damages caused by their pets, including the cost of cleaning of carpets and/or fumigation of units. This means if we come out and spray your apartment or grass for fleas, you WILL be charged. The weight of the dog or cat may not exceed 30 pounds (adult size) and the height of the dog or cat may not exceed 18 inches at the shoulder (adult size). Residents who violate these rules are subject to: being required to get rid of the pet within 14 days of written notice by MCHA and or Eviction. Also, you must call to make a pet appointment, we will not be able to see you the same day if you stop by the office. Peg Address: P.O. Box Anderson St. Carlinville, Fax: Toll Free: Office Hours: Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

2 OFFICE NEWS October 4 - Office Closed at 3:30 pm for Staff Meeting October 10 - Office CLOSED for Columbus Day October 18 - RAB (Resident Advisory Board) Meeting at 2 p.m. the Carlinville Rec Hall (Please see Page 5 for more information about RAB) When the office is closed, please call EMERGENCY WORK ORDERS in to the emergency phone number. Please wait until the office opens to call in routine work orders. If you call the emergency line and do not have an emergency, you could be charged. Gas Leaks Broken Water Pipes Exposed Electrical Wires No Heat (if the outside temperature is 45-degrees or lower) (217) EMERGENCIES INCLUDE: Sewer Line Stoppage (not drain line)- this includes stopped up toilet CO/Smoke detector going off Also Fire, Flood, or Anything that Threatens Life Safety or Property Damage. UPCS FOR OCTOBER This month, UPCS Inspections will be done at, CARLINVILLE 47-15, the apartments at Olroyd and Harding Ct. AND GILLESPIE 47-17, Madison and Lynn Streets. PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE FOR OCTOBER The Preventative Maintenance will be done at BUNKER HILL 47-6, the apartments on Clinton Street. GILLESPIE 47-10, the apartments on Gillespie Street, High Street, South Street, and the East side of Fillmore. Night lights will be checked in all developments in the evenings.

3 Macoupin County Public Transportation 112 S. Macoupin St., Gillespie IL, For questions or to make reservations, Call Michelle: (217) Monday October 3rd Lunch at Wittmond Hotel, Brussells & Grafton Shopping Tuesday October 11th Casino Queen, East St. Louis Friday October 14th Springfield Shopping Saturday October 15th Calhoun County Quilt & Church Tour Friday October 21st Fairview Heights Shopping Saturday October 29th Halloween Parade, Carlinville, IL Partially funded by Area Agency on Aging for Lincolnland through the Older Americans Act of the Illinois Department of Aging Coming This Fall to Your Neighborhood Maple Street Clinic Staff will be knocking on your door To offer you a Free Comprehensive Vision Screening in the comfort of your home. To personally tell you about the exciting new changes at the Maple Street Clinic including a new location in Carlinville. To teach you how to access health care services at the Maple Street Clinic in Gillespie and the Public Health Center in Carlinville. For example: Did you know that you can use the Macoupin County Public Transportation Program for FREE to get to and from the Maple Street Clinic. Maple Street Staff plan to make home visits based on the following schedule: Week of August 1-5 in Palmyra Weeks of August 8-12 and in Virden Week of August in Girard Weeks of August 29 Sept 2 and Sept. 5 9 in Carlinville Week of Sept in Gillespie Week of Sept in Benld Week of Sept in Bunker Hill Week of October 3 7 in Mt. Olive Weeks of October and October in Staunton For more information, call Debbie Link at , ext. 225.

4 Candle Safety Nationally, home candle fires have doubled in number over the last decade. The increasing popularity and demand for candles come more risk of fire and fire deaths. To keep safe follow these safety rules. Extinguish all candles when leaving the room or going to sleep. Keep candles away from items that can catch fire (e.g. clothing, books, paper, curtains, Christmas trees, flammable decorations). Use candleholders that are sturdy, won t tip over easily, are made from a material that can t burn and are large enough to collect dripping wax. Don t place lit candles in windows where blinds and curtains can close over them. Place candleholders on a sturdy, uncluttered surface and do not use candles in place where it could be knocked over by children or pets. Keep candles up high out of reach of children. Never leave a child unattended in a room with a candle. A child should not sleep in a room with a lit candle. Don t allow children or teens to have candles in their bedrooms. Store candles, matches and lighters up high and out children s sight and reach, preferably in a locked cabinet. FIRE SAFETY TIPS Never leave cooking food on the stovetop unattended, and keep a close eye on food cooking inside the oven. Use a cooking timer. Keep cooking areas clean and clear of combustibles (i.e. potholders, towels, rags, plastics, drapes and food packaging). Keep smoking materials away from anything that can burn (i.e., mattresses, bedding, upholstered furniture, draperies, etc.). Never smoke in bed, when drowsy, medicated or intoxicated as this could lead to falling asleep with a lighted cigarette. Do not smoke or have an open flame around medical oxygen. Keep matches and lighters away from children. Supervise young children closely. Do not leave them alone even for short periods of time. Extinguish all candles when leaving the room or going to sleep. Keep candles away from items that can catch fire (e.g. clothing, books, paper, curtains, Christmas trees, flammable decorations). Do not use portable space heaters. Do not store flammable chemicals, such as gasoline and paints inside. The vapors from the flammable chemical will seek an ignition source and can explode. Do not overload outlets and turn off TV, fans and other devices when not in use. This will keep these devices from over heating. Never use a gas range as a substitute for a furnace. Test your smoke alarms frequently to make sure they are operating properly. Having a working smoke alarm dramatically increases your chances of surviving a fire. Develop a home fire escape plan, practice it with your children and designate a meeting place outside. Unattended Cooking The majority of cooking fires start with the ignition of common household items (i.e., wall coverings, paper or plastic bags, curtains, etc.). Unattended cooking is the leading cause of home cooking fires. Here are some related safety rules. Never leave cooking food on the stovetop unattended, and keep a close eye on food cooking inside the oven and use a cooking timer. Keep cooking areas clean and clear of combustibles (i.e. potholders, towels, rags, drapes and food packaging). Clean the exhaust hood and area around the stove regularly and wipe up spilled grease as soon as the surface of the stove is cool. Keep children and pets away from cooking areas by creating a three-foot kid-free zone around the stove. Turn pot handles inward so they can t be bumped and children can t grab them. Always keep a potholder, oven mitt and lid handy. If a small grease fire starts in a pan, put on an oven mitt and smother the flames by carefully sliding the lid over the pan. Turn off the burner. Don t remove the lid until it is completely cool. Never put water on a grease fire and never discharge a fire extinguisher onto a pan fire, it can spray or shoot burning grease around the kitchen, actually spreading the fire. If there is an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the door closed to prevent it from burning you and your clothing. If there is a microwave fire, keep the door closed and unplug the microwave. Electrical Safety Faulty or missed used wiring, switches, outlets, cords and plugs, fuse and circuit breaker boxes, lighting fixtures and lamps are the leading cause of electrical related fires. Here are some related safety rules. Replace or repair loose or frayed cords on all electrical devices. Do not run extension cords across doorways or under carpets. It is better not to use extension cords. In homes with small children, electrical outlets should have plastic safety covers. Follow the manufacturer s instructions for plugging an appliance into a receptacle outlet. Avoid overloading outlets. Consider plugging only one highwattage appliance in each receptacle outlet at a time. If a circuit breaker trips or a fuse blows frequently, immediately cut down on the number of appliances on that line. If outlets or switches feel warm, shut off the circuit and have them checked by the maintenance staff. When possible, avoid the use of multiple outlet adapters and other devices that allow the connection of multiple appliances into a single receptacle. Place lamps on level surfaces, away from things that can burn and use bulbs that match the lamp s recommended wattage. Allow air space around the TV to prevent overheating. The same applies to plug-in radios and stereo sets, and to powerful lamps.

5 RAB MEETING (RESIDENT ADVISORY BOARD) There will be a Resident Advisory Board (RAB) Meeting on Tuesday, October 18, 2016, at 2 p.m. at the Carlinville Rec Hall. The Macoupin County Housing Authority has a Resident Advisory Board (RAB) consisting of one resident from each town where we have housing developments. The RAB meets a few times a year held at one of the Housing Authority Rec Halls. RAB members voice their opinions and concerns and help the Authority make plans for the future. We value their input. The Housing Authority can provide transportation to meetings on the public transportation bus (unless the resident would rather drive themselves). It isn t necessary to attend all meetings, but you can still serve on the board. If you are interested in serving on the RAB, please contact the office at (217) Trick-Or-Treating will take place at The Village at Morse Farm on Thursday, October 27, from 5-8 p.m. on Merchant Night. Merchant Night in Carlinville is where the local businesses open their doors to trick-or-treaters as a safe alternative to visiting unknown residential areas.

6 Just a Few Reminders... For those residents who are on a credit, there have been issues with Ameren receiving our recent payments. If your Ameren bill does not reflect a payment from the Housing Authority, please pay the amount due on the bill. The difference will be made up when they process our payment. IF THERE IS A BURGLARY IN YOUR UNIT; IF YOU HAVE A NOISE COMPLAINT; IF YOU HAVE A DOMESTIC ISSUE; IF YOU ARE HAVING ISSUES WITH A NEIGHBOR; IF YOU HAVE PROOF OF DRUG ACTIVITY; PLEASE call the local police department. We do not police the developments and are not equipped to manage unlawful activity. If you have called the police and made a report, you may then call the Housing office to notify us of that fact. We will follow up and take action if necessary. If you are acquiring a pet in your unit, have filled out the necessary pet application, retrieved shot records from your vet and paid the pet deposit; you MUST call the office for a pet appointment. You will not be able to schedule same-day appointments or bring the pet into the office expecting to be seen. In order to encourage academic excellence and community responsibility among high school students, PHADA has implemented a scholarship program for graduating seniors who are preparing to enter college. PHADA will award three (3) scholarships to deserving youth currently residing in a PHADA member agency. Stephen J. Bollinger Memorial Scholarship (One scholarship available: $7,000) - Steve Bollinger (April 11, 1948 June 18, 1984) was a taskmaster to himself, a human dynamo to those who knew him. He was a natural leader, a person who could rally people around him with wit, satire, and vocal exercises. Steve's knowledge of and dedication to housing those in need was never absent, especially after he was appointed Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development at HUD. His experience at the Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority and the associations he had with colleagues, mayors, and others afforded him the opportunity to deal with the bureaucracy in a style that we strive to attain. To the members of PHADA, he was a friend. His belief in the housing profession motivated him to become a founding member of PHADA, for which he served as Vice President. He accomplished much in a short time and we are all thankful for his achievements. PHADA created this scholarship to memorialize Stephen J. Bollinger. Freedom & Civil Rights Scholarship (One scholarship available: $5,000) *Additional Essay Required - In 2005, PHADA's Board of Trustees met in Montgomery, AL. Inspired by historical sites they chose to give personal donations for the inception of a PHADA scholarship to honor the work of Rosa Parks and the achievements of the civil rights movement. PHADA's Annual Commissioners' Conference Golf Outing was established in 2007 to provide continuous funding to the Freedom Scholarship. NOTE: To be considered for the Freedom & Civil Rights Scholarship include a personal essay ( words) demonstrating your efforts and achievements in furthering the values of the civil rights movement. Explain why the cause is still relevant in communities today and how they relate to your educational goals. Include any relevant volunteer experiences and community involvement activities relating to advancing the cause of civil rights. SACS Software/Scott Accounting & Computer Services, Inc. Scholarship (One scholarship available: $5,000) - SACS Software/ Scott Accounting & Computer Services, Inc. has offered significant financial support to PHADA's scholarship program and has elected to reward one deserving youth with a $5,000 scholarship. PHADA appreciates their committment to serving the needs of public housing residents and the community. The scholarship fund will be administered by the PHADA Scholarship Committee. The money will go directly to the school that the recipient will be attending. The school will deposit the money into the student's account. The money may only be used to pay for tuition, books, and activities directly related to the student's education. If the student discontinues his or her education, the unused portion of the scholarship will be returned to PHADA. For more information, contact PHADA at: To download an application for these scholarships, please visit: pdf/2017_phada_scholarship_application.pdf.

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