It’s the Holidays and thieves are already on the prowl.  Is your neighborhood safe? Is your home safe?

When you live in a neighborhood that you feel comfortable in, it becomes easy to forget to lock the door while you’re home.  You also become an easy target.

I had a scare at 2:30 in the morning.  I was letting one of my dogs out to use the bathroom and when I let her back in, I couldn’t go to sleep. So, I sat at my computer and starting surfing the web.  I heard something on my back deck and thought it might be a cat jumping on the grill.  Then I heard one of the chairs dragging a little over the wood.  I got up slowly, thinking that if the person was watching I didn’t want to give it away that I heard them, so I walked slowly to my bedroom to look outside.  When I did, I saw a man standing there on the deck, relaxed and just looking over my yard like it was his!  I didn’t see him too long, I was on the phone with 911.  I had a great response from the Clarksville Police Department, 3 squad cars were here looking for the guy.  He got away.  Nothing was stolen and he didn’t get in.  I shouldn’t have kept it to myself, but I did.  I didn’t let a lot of my friends who live in the neighborhood know because I didn’t want to scare anyone but I did tell the neighbors next to me and across the street.

About a week later, one of my friends was in the house with her baby in the living room.  It was around 11am in the morning.  Normally she didn’t keep her doors locked but for some reason her back and front door was locked.  All of a sudden there was a man on her back deck with his hand on the door trying to open it.  She screamed and grabbed the baby and ran to her bedroom.  Her scream scared the guy so bad that he ran over her deck furniture trying to get out of there.  She believes that he didn’t think anyone was home.  She learned alot about her actions when this happened.  She couldn’t believe she ran to her bedroom and not out the front door.  Her husband said she was running to a safe place and her bedroom feels safe to her.

The two incidents were two different men.  I believe the one that was at mine came back to the house in the daytime, a couple of days later, to ask me questions about a possible burglary that was reported on the 911 log in the paper. He said he was with CSI Security? I have never heard of them.  I told him it wasn’t me and the man was commenting on things he was seeing in my home, he was still on the front porch! So he was scoping my place out.  I called the police back and gave a description of this man’s vehicle and what he looked like and they have it on file.

My friend called 911 also when her burglar was at her back door and when the police got there, they didn’t even dust the door handle for fingerprints, which I found odd.  Isn’t that what they are suppose to do?  I am kind of confused about that.

So just a little advice for you to stay safe in your home:

• Keep your door locks during the day and night.  If you have a storm door, keep it locked too.  You never know when someone knocks on your door if that person is a friend or foe.
• If you have sensory flood lights on the corners of your home, keep them on at night.  It might deter the peeping tom or whatever he is from continuing on with his plan.
• Always know where your phones are and make sure they are charged.
• Be alert at all times.  Even when you are driving home. Don’t always drive home the same way every time.  Criminals love people that are predictable. I was speaking to a business owner and she has someone following her home and she didn’t pull in her drive but kept going and trying different routes to see if they would continue to follow, which they did. So she left the neighorhood and drove to the police station and parked.  They kept going.
• Keep in touch with your neighbors.  I know sometimes people just want to be left alone but when it comes to safety, you want to have someone you can call to look out their window and see if they see something.
• If you neighborhood doesn’t have a crime watch program, start one.

There is so much more that you can do.  If you know of some good tips, please comment and let me know.  We are here to help each other.  If you have had any experiences, what did you do?

It took me a good 2 weeks to start feeling somewhat safe.  I was scared to leave my home.  So, I have felt victimized but it has taught me to be even more alert.  I shouldn’t have kept it to myself, so maybe my experience might help you to maybe change some things that you are doing right now that will make you and your home safer.

Be safe and Happy Holiday, Merry Christmas and have a safe New Years!

Merry Christmas From Art & Thea

Wishing you and your Family a very Merry Christmas!

Blessings~

Art & Thea Agnew

The Cumberland River off Riverside Drive in Clarksville, TN has always been a hub where locals go to watch many events throughout the year. Now the City of Clarksville brings another spectacular wonder to the River walk~

Christmas on the Cumberland

Our tradition started back in 1999 and has continually grown in size and design over the years to bring awe and excitement to both the young and young-at-heart.

There’s an exciting feeling in the air when you see the lights come on in celebration of Christmas time! Little children know Christmas is just around the corner when they see the lights all ablaze in an array of color! Walking through the lights becomes a magical place where you will feel like it was meant just for you and the ones you are with. It’s Clarksville’s gift to her community. To put a smile on your heart and a spring in your step.

It’s also a special time of year due to the arrival of our Troops coming home after a very long deployment.  To be able to walk along side a river that is lit up with Christmas lights, as if you were walking through wonderland, with your someone special, having the comfort of knowing you can rest easy where you are.  It would be a perfect place to propose to the love of your life or renew your commitment to one another.

It becomes a time of reflection as you walk hand in hand through the wonder of it all, being able to enjoy something you wish everyone could experience, peace and joy. Watching the children running through the lights in excitement without a care in the world, you begin to want to view it through their eyes. If you know of someone who won’t be home this Holiday Season, call that Spouse and invite him/her to get away and be lost in the beauty of what Clarksville has brought to its community.  It’s free and will bring the child out in all of us!

The lighting ceremony was celebrated on November 25.  The event hours are:

Sunday-Thursday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Friday and Saturday 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.

November 26, 2008-January 1, 2009.

Here are some Answers to questions you might have:

Can I bring my pets?

Yes, you may bring your pets to walk through the park during the lighting display; however we do ask pet owners to clean up after their pets. Pets are not allowed in the stage/audience areas during the lighting ceremony or during public performances.

I’m traveling from out of town. Where is McGregor Park?

The McGregor Park Riverwalk is located at 640 N. Riverside Drive (US 41-A).

The park is approximately 7.5 miles from I-24 at Exit 4. It is 43 miles from Nashville via I-24 West; 25-5 miles from Hopkinsville, KY via I-24 East. For further directions visit Google Maps.

Are you searching for fun events to help you get into the holiday spirit? Look no further than Information, Ticketing and Reservation (ITR) Leisure Travel, your one stop travel shop! ITR has information and tickets for a wide variety of events this holiday season ranging from the Radio City Rockettes and ICE! How the Grinch Stole Christmas at Gaylord Opryland, to performances at the Ryman Auditorium and Christmas on the General Jackson showboat.

ITR has events for everyone in your Family. Call or stop by the ITR office located inside the main PX Mall and let one of ITR’s professional team members help you find the perfect holiday event for you and your loved ones. A complete list of holiday events is available at www.fortcampbellmwr.com/BusinessActivities/ITR/  

For additional information on holiday events, please contact ITR at (270) 798-7436.

If you enjoyed this post, click on the monkey to your right and subscribe for more! If you have information on more events in our area, please comment below!

• WHAT:  Tree Lighting Ceremony
• WHERE:  McAuliffe Hall, BLDG 2700 (New Division Headquarters)
• WHEN:  4 December 2008
• For more information call 270.798.7535
• Inclement weather plan 270.798.3172

It’s that time of year again! The time went by so fast. If you don’t have an ID card to enter post, you can go through Gate 4 and get a pass.  I wasn’t given a time on the Tree Lighting Ceremony but there is a number for more information above.

Letters to Santa

Have you been good all year? It won’t be long before Old Saint Nick pays a visit to all the good little girls and boys which means it is time to send him your letter with Christmas wishes. Santa’s MWR elves would love to help you get that letter to Santa. All Fort Campbell children, who live on or off post, are invited to write a letter to Santa with their Christmas wishes. Santa will send a personal response and a special treat to all children who send Santa a letter.

Please make sure to get mom or dad to help write your first and last name and a mailing address, because sometimes the elves forget their glasses and the MWR elves need to clearly read the address and name. Send your stamped letter to:

 ”Letters to Santa”, P.O. Box 475, Fort Campbell, KY 42223

 Please make sure the letter is postmarked by December 12, so that Santa has time to write back. Letters to Santa is sponsored by PeakPromo.biz.

For additional information on Letters to Santa, please contact the Fort Campbell Santa workshop at (270) 798-7535.

Look no further than Information, Ticketing and Reservation (ITR) Leisure Travel, your one stop travel shop!

ITR has information and tickets for a wide variety of events this holiday season ranging from the Radio City Rockettes and ICE! How the Grinch Stole Christmas at Gaylord Opryland, to performances at the Ryman Auditorium and Christmas on the General Jackson showboat.

ITR has events for everyone in your Family. Call or stop by the ITR office located inside the main PX Mall and let one of ITR’s professional team members help you find the perfect holiday event for you and your loved ones. A complete list of holiday events is available at www.fortcampbellmwr.com/BusinessActivities/ITR/ .

For additional information on holiday events, please contact ITR at (270) 798-7436.