Lakewood Civic

Sunday, June 21st, the LaPorte police caught a Burglar who had been operating in the City of La Porte for 2 days. His M.O. is to knock on the door of his target residence and if no one answers, he forces the door, either with a pry bar or by kicking the door in. We have recovered some property in the cases, but we still have some property not yet recovered. In addition, we have a vast amount of recovered property not believed to be related to La Porte cases, this property includes handguns, jewelry, etc. We also have a large amount of pawn slips, from pawn shops all over the surrounding Houston area and even a pawn shop in Buda Texas. There are several different names on the pawn slips.

Lessons to take away from this info:

1. Day time burglars are going to knock on your door. This has been their modus operandi forever and continues to be effective. If someone comes to your door uninvited and without the proper solicitation paperwork call the police.

2. If you are a victim of a crime, report it to the police. We catch bad guys regularly who are in possession of items that do not belong to them yet we have no victim to return them to.

3. Write down serial numbers for items and take pictures of jewelry. Serial numbers are not usually on the paperwork or the receipt from the purchase. The only thing that identifies your laptop, gun, or whatever, from anyone else’s is the serial number. Write it down and keep it in a safe place.

4. Pay attention to what is going on in your neighborhood. Burglars know people are away on vacations, baseball tourneys, and many other things. Report suspicious behavior and persons to the police.

Stewart Beasley

Crime Prevention Officer

Baytown Police Department

Lakewood Civic Association Annual Meeting
May 19, 2015

Welcome—President Randy Dickey welcomed those present and passed out agendas for the meeting.

Treasurer’s Report—Treasurer Frank McKay distributed copies of the annual financial statement, dating from 5/1/2014 – 4/30/2015. This report reflected an ending balance above last year.

Board of Directors: Randy reported that Elaine Brainard, Dell Cantrell, Spencer Carnes, Tim Christiansen (newly elected members), Mary Bagwell, Mary Ann Beltz, Randy Dickey, and Frank McKay (“carry over” members with one more year to serve) will serve as this year’s board of directors.

Deed Restrictions—Randy provided a brief overview of the basic approach the board plans to take. He noted that the attorney the board has retained to assist in this process is currently reviewing the board’s last set of revisions. He went on to explain that the subdivision of Lakewood consists of numerous sections and that the deed restrictions often vary from section to section. In some sections a 50% majority approval is needed for passage of deed restrictions; in others, that percentage is 67%.

City Charter Amendments—Randy Dickey, a member of the City Charter Amendments Committee, briefly discussed the scope and purpose of this committee which has been meeting for slightly over one year. He noted that the charter is similar to a constitution rather than a set of ordinances. In its 67 years, Baytown’s City Charter has been modified only four times. It is currently extremely out of date with regard to elections, annexations, and other city operations.

City Council Representative Report—District 3 City Council Representative Brandon Capetillo’s “State of the District” report touched on many topics. Some of them included: street improvements, “all access” and “senior access” parks, Garth Road’s traffic issues, the selection of the new City Manager, November’s bond election, and Evergreen Golf Course’s viability as a municipal course.

Lakewood Clubs—Representatives of the following presented brief reports:
Lakewood Garden Club—President Joanne Springer reminded those present that this group continues to encourage a sense of neighborhood pride through its Yard of the Month designations and awarding prizes in various categories for outstanding yard decorations at Christmas.
Boat Club—It was pointed out that a new system has been initiated that involves issuing new keys every year. Plans to upgrade the gate and install a new sign were also shared.
Lakewood Pool Club—James Springer passed out flyers with information regarding membership fees, hours, and rental fees.

Beginning the week of June 22, 2015, TxDOT will begin roadway improvements at the intersection of Rollingbrook and Decker Drive at the ExxonMobil Refinery North Gate. The eastbound Rollingbrook exit from Spur 330 will be closed from 8:30 a.m. 4:00 p.m. daily for safety of the public while the retaining wall is demolished.

Construction on Decker Drive includes the addition of one lane on Decker Drive Eastbound from Spur 330 Rollingbrook Exit to San Jacinto Ave and a dedicated U-turn lane on Decker Drive Westbound. This construction is expected to last several months.

Please plan alternate routes during this time; Baker Road and Airhart exits will remain open. Please use caution and follow all traffic signs in the area.

New officers and positions were elected on June 11, 2015.

The 2015 -2016 Lakewood Civic Association Board member positions are:

The Lakewood Garden Club has awarded the Yard of the Month for June to the home of Mary Bou-Chebl at 114 Caldwell. Her entry is very inviting with an array of sculpted potted plants along the front.

We have been seeing this trend around the Houston area for a while now and apparently it has made its way to Baytown. Below is an email we received from Chambers County Sherriff’s Department. Please pass it along to your groups.

It appears the juggers have moved up to Baytown/Chambers County. Our victim reportedly took out $600 from the ATM at Chase Bank on Garth Road and drove straight to Walmart on SH 146/10. When she returned from inside the store, her passenger side window was smashed. The only thing missing was the cash envelope. Video surveillance shows a black passenger car (possibly a new Ford Fusion) pulling up to her vehicle. A black male, wearing a black hoodie, is observed approaching her passenger side window. A few seconds later, he gets back in his car and the suspects leave.

From what I am being told about juggers, their MO is to rent vehicles, super tint the windows, and remove/change the plates. They lie and wait near banks and follow the victims’ home or their next location. They are either jumping out to rob the victims or just waiting to burglarize the vehicles.

Pay attention to what vehicles and who is around you at your banking institutions. Check your mirrors to make sure you are not being followed from the bank. DO NOT LEAVE THINGS OF VALUE IN YOUR VEHICLE. If you suspect you are being watched or followed call the police.

Congratulations to the 4 board members elected for the 2015-2017 two year term:

Elaine Brainard (New member)

Dell Cantrell (Re-elected)

Spencer Carnes (New member)

Tim Christensen (Re-elected)

They join the current board members with one one year to serve:

Mary Bagwell

Mary Ann Beltz

Randy Dickey

Frank McKay

Board 0fficer elections will be held in June

2015 District 3 Council Corner

Hello neighbors, I just want to take a quick minute to express my appreciation to the Lakewood Civic Association and Lakewood Garden Club for their continued efforts of ensuring we have a beautiful neighborhood to enjoy. We are very fortunate to have such an active neighborhood community.
I also want to update you on a few neighborhood and city-wide issues. Currently Holly Drive is under construction and should be completed soon. When I look back and measure the condition of our neighborhood streets now compared to 10 years ago I can see that we have made much improvement throughout the neighborhood. Our work is not done, however it is always good to see your hard earned tax dollars at work. Also, the safety of you and your family is very important to me and I continue to ask for increased police patrols and communication with our residents when it comes to getting rid of the criminal elements. If you see any suspicious individuals or activities please report it to the police, 281-422-8371 for non-emergency calls. We continue to enhance or fire protection system in hopes of achieving an improved ISO rating that should result in lower insurance rates for home owners.
This spring city council will be very busy interviewing and selecting a new city manager because of the retirement of Bob Leiper. The city manager is responsible for overseeing the day to day activities of city personnel and implementing policy as directed by city council. We continue to focus on litter abatement and removing blighted properties around the city, but we must begin with what is in our individual control. Please take a moment to remove piles of debris and materials from your property. The city-wide Trash-Off will be April 11th, from 9am-2pm. Household hazardous waste and electronic waste can be dropped off at 1200 Lee Dr., that same day and hours, please visit our new website for more details at www.baytown.org . Our economic development efforts continue to bring new restaurants, retailers and improved grocery store choices. With this growth comes increased traffic, we have hired an engineering firm to design road improvements for our most congested areas of Garth road. I believe there will be great and exciting news throughout the year regarding new development and initiatives, stayed tuned…
It is my distinct privilege to represent you on Baytown City Council and I look forward to seeing you out and about in the community. Please feel free to contact me by e-mail at district3@baytown.org. May God Bless you and your family.

Brandon Capetillo