I was just notified that email subscriptions to the website have not been working for a while. No one on the website team caught this issue which apparently happened after a recent update to the application. I’m working on restoring the function, so please bear with us. If you get a notification from this post, it may already be fixed.
Thanks for your patience.
from Helaine’s writing desk…
As a senior I often feel like a carnival doll, sitting on a shelf as the Scammers and Con Artists toss their pitches at me hoping to knock me down.
Today when I opened the computer I notice I had three messages in the Messenger app that comes with Facebook. All three were names I knew. But still I was going to be cautious. They were all the wave emoji that is used for first messages. Message #1 waved. I waved back, almost immediately she came back with “Hi Helaine, how are you?” “Fine” I replied, “and you?” “Fine” she said and went on to ask if I heard about the EESA… An agency giving money to“needy” citizens. Names had been drawn at random. She said she saw my name on the list. A trip to Snopes web site could not prove one way or the other if this was a scam, but certainly increased my skepticism.
I answered the next wave message with a wave, I get back “ Hi, How are you?” “Fine, You.?” I replied. She says “Fine”… and she goes on to ask if I heard about an agency called National USAID. They give out grants. Another web trip to Snopes. Again no actual proof of a specific scam but more suspicions. I uncovered this sentence. “May 22, 2018 · Scammers continue to con Facebook users out of thousands of dollars with phony government grant offers. You may be among the many Facebook users who have been approached by “friends”
On to message #3. I know her better than the other two and have had messages from her before. They should have displayed over the new message. I didn’t answer it.
I dug deeper. In Messenger, conversations are kept so you can go back to the very beginning. Just above that is the picture of the “Friend” and how you were connected. All of mine say that we are Facebook friends. Except all three of these latest accounts say they were formed without Facebook, using a phone number in USA. Or something close to that. I felt that all three were scams that would some how cost me money if I were foolish enough to follow them through. One of the ladies posted on Facebook that she had been hacked and to not accept “friend” requests from her.
What can we do to protect ourselves? I will not be answering messenger notes that are just a wave until I make sure they have come to Messenger thru Facebook and not by some secret way. If I find it appears to be a phony account I will report it as someone pretending to be a “Friend.” If you write me a note please say something “real” that I would recognize. If I have your phone number I will likely call you to make sure you sent it. Know that the mere mention of money or grants will cause me to slam the computer shut.
I like messenger and use It frequently. It is a quick way to send or receive information. I will not let the cyber crooks take that away from me.
Facebook Messenger: Here’s How to Block and Unblock Someone:
Step 1: Open the conversation with the person you wish to block.
Step 2: Tap the user’s name at the top of the screen.
Step 3: Scroll down and tap “Block.”
Step 4: Tap the toggle next to “Block Messages” to stop the user from being able to send you messages and calls on Messenger.
Facebook, Facebook Messenger, and any of the associated Facebook apps are one of the main sources of scams against seniors. They always coming up with a new approach. Be extremely cautious.
PICK-UP-STIX
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED for
STORM TREE DEBRIS CLEAN UP
MEET TUESDAY (Mar. 19) at 1:00 pm
Place: at LOT #116
Questions: Contact Dar Hoch, 920-344-9914
from Helaine’s desk…
HEADS UP!!
I am serious now, HEADS UP!!
As you walk around Timber Valley it is good to watch where your feet go but you need to be watchful of the trees over head. Many, many of them have cracked, broken, branches just waiting to drop. It might take only a single gust of wind to bring down the damaged branches. Our crews are cleaning and doing what they can to restore our beautiful park but it takes time and some of these branches are out of reach. Please be careful. If you see something that looks particularly dangerous let the office staff know.
I’ve started an online album to help preserve our photos (and memories) from the big snowfall and power outage. It’s here… <click>
Any photos that you have and would like to share with our community are welcome. You can send them to me any way you’d like – email, text, or just hand me a memory card. Please send in original size or at least big enough that they’ll present well on the screen.
I think we’ll find them very interesting in a few years after the memories have faded.
On March 7, Timber Valley’s Emergency Preparedness Committee asked the Communications Committee to come up with a plan for handling emergency communications in the future. Marc Stalnaker agreed to chair an emergency communications sub-committee and called for a meeting of residents in the Park to discuss this, which was held was held on Saturday, March 9, 2019.
Marc and Emergency Preparedness Co-Chair Julianne Crane conducted that meeting. Marc stressed the need for residents to be as self-sufficient as possible. Julianne presented examples of readily available communication devices, such as color-coded window cards to indicate a resident’s status. Those residents present also offered many valuable suggestions.
The residents present adopted by consensus a proposal that eleven emergency communication teams be formed (one for the neighbors on each street in the Park), with volunteer captains and co-captains, who will be responsible for disseminating information to residents of those streets. They are to confirm contact information about each neighbor and it will also be their responsibility to know which lots are occupied, or not, during the next emergency.
Nine residents volunteered at that meeting to be team captains and several others volunteered as co-captains. Two captains (plus co-captains) are still needed, for the “Creekside Team” (Lots 1-19 & 206) and for the “Upper Hilltop Team” (Lots 88-114). Please contact Rick De Young (phone 541-315-2830) if you are willing to be a captain of one of these teams..
It was also agreed that the emergency communications group (subcommittee members and team captains and co-captains) will meet weekly, on Saturdays at 10 a.m., to hear and implement more ideas and plans for communicating in the next emergency.
Many residents present at the March 9 meeting recognize that, while it is tempting to believe our February 2019 “Snowmegeddon” is not likely to happen again, we could face some other emergency situation as early as tonight! So, we agreed, now is the time to decide and implement steps to improve our communications to better deal with the next emergency.
LANDSCAPE COMMITTEE MEETING
Friday, March 15 at 10:00am (Note time change for this meeting only)
Place: “The Big Room” at the clubhouse (Note we are not meeting in dining room)
Landscape Committee is gearing back up. Weekly meetings will begin this Friday and every following Friday. Everyone is invited to attend, no matter your skill level or physical level. Your input is valuable. Meetings begin with discussion, review, and planning followed by a work session. Meeting start times are usually at 9am but note time change for this first meeting. Because the dining room is used by Qui Gong at that time, we’re meeting in the “Big Room”.
This Friday’s agenda:
Lot Landscaping Guidelines
Landscape Committee 2019-2020 Budget Review
Set work session priorities for remainder of fiscal 2018-2019
Short work session
Dar Hoch, Landscape Committee Chair
Work Continues on our water system as we near the half-way point. The contractor will complete work on Madrone early next week then start on the south end of Spruce. Hilltop will become the center of activities on or about March 20, 2019.
When Hilltop is completed, the southern part of the park will be finished. Lots 1-6 will be next, followed by Lots 7 – 11. A big thanks to our members for their cooperation and patience.
The value of our RainedOut Alert system has proven invaluable during the past couple weeks. If you haven’t already done so, please, PLEASE, consider signing up so you can be quickly and efficiently informed of urgent park messages and emergency situations.
It’s best to sign up with your cell phone… whether it’s a smart phone or a flip phone. Both can receive the one-way alert messages generated by the system. But if you prefer, you can sign up with your email address.
If you need assistance with signing up, see Rob Hendershot (Lot 82) or Thom Hoch (lot 31). Addendum: Kim in the office will also help if you need assistance in signing up.
