Dear Pollard Neighbors:
It looks like March is coming in like a lion with the Coronavirus pandemic. While it’s nice to see all of the children and parents walking and biking around the neighborhood, the reality of events that resulted in all this free time has really upset our normal schedule. With the governor and the mayor declaring that all residents should refrain from moderate and large social gatherings, the Civic Association of Pollard Estates Board has decided to cancel the Pollard Easter Egg Hunt scheduled for April 4th. While we regret that this decision is necessary, it is the proper thing to do considering the potential risk for the kids and parents/grandparents. Our next scheduled neighborhood event is the Spring Wine Walk on May 15th. As that date approaches, we will evaluate the pandemic situation and make a decision then about moving forward with the event.
The Open Board Meeting at the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries building on March 10th was a success, and about 30 residents attended. Our District 12 Councilperson, Jen Racca, introduced herself and gave a short speech about her plans on the council, her reasons for serving, and her abilities to resolve problems in District 12.
Pollard Estates Directory
Work has begun on a new directory for Pollard Estates. It will be a digital directory, probably a .pdf with a printed copy available for those who prefer that format or do not have internet access. Dan Rice is our new Membership Chairman, and as soon as we can double check for correct names and addresses for all Pollard residents on our dues payment spreadsheet, we will publish the directory and notify everyone how they can have access. It will be in the same format as previous versions, indexed by lot number and last name, with address and phone numbers included, as well as a map of the Pollard Estates lots.
Security
Both license plate reader cameras are up and operating on Pollard Parkway and Quail Drive. While these cameras will assist the police in identifying criminal elements arriving by vehicle, there is still a security risk due to individuals on foot and on bicycles roaming the neighborhood checking unlocked doors and parked vehicles. Please remember to lock your vehicles whenever they are parked in your driveways and carports. Keep all valuables out of sight in vehicles. Also, remove lawn equipment, bicycles, and other valuable items from open carports when not in use. If you see or suspect an unauthorized entry on your property, please call for the police at 911.
Dues
Currently only 45 percent of Pollard residents have paid their CAPE dues for 2020. Please check your records to be sure you have paid for this year. Your $100 per year dues help to pay for our neighborhood security patrols and camera operations. You can mail your check for $100 to CAPE, PO Box 14581, Baton Rouge, LA 70898; or go to our website, PollardEstates.org, to pay with a credit card.
We wish all of you a healthy and Happy Easter. Get to know your elderly or handicapped neighbors and be sure to offer help if they are in need during this time of crisis and social distancing.
Board of Directors
Civic Association of Pollard Estates
CAPE Public Board Meeting
Tuesday, March10, 2020
6:00 pm
Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Building
The Civic Association of Pollard Estates Board of Directors will hold a public Board Meeting at 6:00 pm on March 10th at the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Building on Quail Drive. All residents of Pollard Estates are invited to attend. Take this opportunity to come meet and mingle with your neighbors and your CAPE Board members. The calendar of CAPE events for 2020 will be presented and the Board will answer any questions you may have about issues of concern in our neighborhood. Light snacks and refreshments will be served.
This is also a chance to meet your new East Baton Rouge City/Parish Councilperson, Jen Racca, who will be in attendance to answer your questions regarding EBR Council issues related to Pollard Estates.
For those of you who have not yet paid your CAPE dues for 2020, or if you are not sure if you have paid, we will have a list available. Dues are $100 per year per residence, and money collected supports our off-duty police patrols, cameras at Pollard entrances, maintenance and insurance for Pollard public areas, and support for CAPE events throughout the year.
We look forward to seeing everyone there next Tuesday.
Thank you.
The Board of Directors
Civic Association of Pollard Estates
C.A.P.E. Open Board Meeting
Tuesday, March 10, 6:00 PM
Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Building
Quail Drive
Dear Pollard Estates Neighbors:
The Civic Association of Pollard Estates Board of Directors would like to invite all Pollard Estates residents to our open Board Meeting at 6:00 pm, Tuesday March 10th , at the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries building on Quail Drive. Light refreshments and snacks will be served.
This is your chance to hear the latest news about activities in Pollard last year and plans for new activities this year. We have a full schedule of social activities planned, so come out on Tuesday, March 10th and meet your neighbors.
CAPE Dues
CAPE dues for 2020 are now due. If you are unsure whether you have paid your dues for this year, we will have a list available and you can pay your dues with a check at the meeting. The $100 annual dues per residence are primarily used to pay for off-duty police patrols and upkeep and insurance for common grounds at the front of the neighborhood on Perkins Road. Additional expenses include electrical costs for lighting and wireless connections for the license plate reader cameras that have been installed to cover entrances to Pollard, website and email expenses, office expenses, and our sponsored neighborhood social events throughout the year. Our off-duty police patrol will give an update at the meeting on crimes in Pollard during the last year and tips for crime prevention in the neighborhood.
City Parish Council Representative
Our new City Parish Councilperson, Jen Racca, will attend the meeting to introduce herself and to take questions about City Parish affairs and any problems or needs in Pollard Estates.
We hope all residents will take advantage of this opportunity to meet with your CAPE Board of Directors and visit with your neighbors. We look forward to seeing all of you on Tuesday night, March 10th.
Civic Association of Pollard Estates
Board of Directors
Group Home Update: The proposed lease of a residence on Hibiscus Drive for a group home halfway house has been cancelled.
Dear Pollard Residents:
A situation has arisen in our neighborhood that the Board feels you should be aware of. The residence located at 5722 Hibiscus Drive is owned by the Ingleside United Methodist Church, and the church is considering leasing the residence for 4 years to a business that operates group home halfway houses for recovering substance abuse victims. The house would be used to house up to six college-age girls recovering from substance abuse. There are currently about 35 such halfway houses in Baton Rouge, all located in A-1-zoned, single family, residential neighborhoods. The city does not allow public notice or Planning Commission hearings for such uses due to federal law restrictions. Due to the background of the planned “residents”, there is a better than average chance that potential criminal activity, as well as unwanted visitors and traffic, could occur in the vicinity of that house. Drug halfway houses in other Baton Rouge neighborhoods have had a history of unsavory activities and increased crime around those locations.
The C.A.P.E. Board has decided unanimously to oppose the location of a drug halfway house in our neighborhood due to the potential risk for Pollard residents and the neighborhood in general. The church has not yet leased the property, and the Board encourages all residents who oppose the action of the church to contact Ingleside Methodist Church to express their opposition. The church secretary can be reached at (225) 344-9100. If you know anyone who is a member of that church, please express to them personally your objection to the proposed lease of the residence for a drug halfway house. Hopefully we can stop this unwanted intrusion into Pollard Estates.
Thank you
Civic Association of Pollard Estates
Board of Directors
Dear Neighbors:
We would like to start out by thanking all of our 2019 members! A strong participation in CAPE from the neighborhood is essential to our success. We plan to build upon all of the positive changes made in 2019 to make 2020 another great year for the neighborhood. The Board is working hard to build a stronger sense of community and togetherness in Pollard Estates
Currently we have a few vacancies on the Board, and we would love fresh faces and ideas to join our cause. If you are interested in serving, please reach out to us via email at the address listed above.
Historically, dues have been utilized for private security patrols by off-duty Baton Rouge Police officers, insurance coverage and maintenance of the common areas. In late 2019 and in conjunction with Rouzan and Woodchase, we were able to facilitate the installation of license plate reader cameras at the entrances to our neighborhoods. All license plate information is transmitted to BRPD automatically for review of suspect vehicles. This security measure is an addition to our regular off-duty police patrols. With continued and new participation, we hope to expand and build upon these programs.
The amount being assessed for the period of January 1, 2020, through December 31, 2020, is One Hundred Dollars and Zero Cents ($100.00), which is indicated on your invoice. Invoices will be delivered via email to the address on file for each property and can be paid online through PayPal. Please note, if you paid using this method for 2019, you may have enabled reoccurring or automatic payments for your dues. Please review your account before submitting any new payments.
In addition to the online option, neighbors may still send a check to the address listed above or make a payment on PollardEstates.org. If any contact information has changed please complete the CAPE Member Registration Form located at PollardEstates.org/membership to aid in updating our records.
We plan to distribute a new neighborhood directory this year after all information has been updated. Contact information for each residence will be included in the directory. If you do not wish to have your telephone numbers and/or email addresses available for neighborhood contact in the directory, please opt-out via by emailing the address listed above. The directory will be posted on our website, and paper copies will be provided as requested.
Regardless of whether you own or lease a property, we invite and encourage all neighbors to be active in CAPE and to help us make this neighborhood a better place to reside. If you have any questions or concerns or feel that you have received this notice in error, please feel free to email us at the address listed above.
Thank you for your support of CAPE and also for your commitment to keeping our neighborhood the best kept secret in Baton Rouge! If you should need anything from us, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Sincerely,
Board of Directors
Civic Association of Pollard Estates
There was a vandalism spree in Pollard Estates early this morning. A suspect is in custody, caught by the police in a back yard in Pollard this morning. This person is also a suspect in vandalism of lights and water systems attached to houses in Pollard and Woodchase. If anyone had any type of vandalism, theft, or other similar incident in their yard this morning, please call the 2nd District Police Station at 389-3863 to make a report. All reports will be helpful to the police in resolving these crimes.
Thank you.
Steve Oivanki, President
Civic Association of Pollard Estates
CAPE Christmas Caroling
Friday, December 20, 2019 at 5:30 p.m.
Starting location: Corner of S. Pollard and S. Columbine
Merry Christmas, Neighbors!
I want to remind everyone about the Christmas Caroling this Friday night, December 20th.
We will meet at the corner of South Pollard and South Columbine, Matt Gamble’s house, around 5:00 to 5:30 pm. We will have pizza, bottled water, hot chocolate, and Christmas cookies. We will practice the carols and then board the trailer for caroling around the neighborhood. The Gambles also won the Christmas Decoration Contest this year, so be sure to come by for the show.
The caroling should last about 1-1 ½ hours and we will end up where we started. We still need some more folks who would like a caroling stop at their house. Just send an email to mail@pollardestates.org if you would like us to serenade you Friday night. If we get rained out, we will reschedule for Saturday night. I hope to see you there for the fun.
Steve Oivanki, President
Civic Association of Pollard Estates
Happy Thanksgiving, neighbors. I hope this newsletter finds all Pollard Estates residents caught up in the joy of the holidays and the spirit of Thanksgiving and Christmas.
November Board Meeting
We had a successful November Open Board Meeting, but with a lower than expected turnout, probably due to the sudden freezing temperatures. Sgt. Rob Farrelly reported that another officer has been added to the police patrol due to the recent uptick in criminal activity. The Board is also considering increasing the patrol hours.
Most criminal activity involves taking advantage of unlocked vehicles, so please be sure to keep your vehicles locked at night and remove any valuables from sight in the vehicle. There have been a number of complaints about kids driving golf carts and 4-wheelers through the neighborhoods and particularly through Rouzan. Driving carts through Rouzan is particularly dangerous due to the abundance of construction vehicles and narrow streets. Golf carts are not allowed to be driven on city streets, particularly by under-age drivers. The police will ticket violations as per city ordinance.
License Plate Reader Cameras
The installation of the LPR cameras is finally proceeding. We encountered numerous roadblocks from the city and from Entergy, but the electrical lines have finally been run to the median at Perkins, and a new pole has been installed on Quail Drive near Perkins. The cameras have been ordered and will be installed as soon as they arrive. Due to the generosity of a Pollard resident, most of the Pollard cost has been donated. The Rouzan cameras have been installed; so once our new cameras are operating, the combined neighborhoods of Pollard, Woodchase, and Rouzan will be completely covered.
CAPE Directory
It has been a few years since CAPE has published a directory of Pollard Estates residents. A poll was taken at the open meeting, and it was decided to publish a directory at the beginning of next year. The Board is planning to have a digital copy for all residents and a printed copy available upon request. Due to possible privacy concerns, neighbors will have the option to keep certain information from being printed in the directory. The Board will work to keep the directory updated on an ongoing basis.
Stop Signs
There is a safety need for a 4-way stop at South Pollard and South Columbine and a petition is being circulated to get the city to make that intersection a 4-way stop. If a CAPE board member contacts you to sign the request, please do so. There are numerous small children playing near that corner and it is a designated school bus stop for many children. Cars are traveling down South Pollard during morning and evening commute hours greatly in excess of the 25 mph speed limit.
With Warmest Holiday Wishes,
Steve Oivanki
President, Civic Association of Pollard Estates (CAPE)
C.A.P.E. Open Board Meeting
6:00 pm, Tuesday, November 12, 2019
Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Building
Quail Avenue
The Civic Association of Pollard Estates (CAPE) Board of Directors invites all Pollard residents to an open Board Meeting at 6:00 pm on Tuesday, November 12, 2019 in the Board Room of the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Building on Quail Drive. Light refreshments and snacks will be served for your enjoyment.
This is your chance to hear the latest news about Pollard Estates and plans for future events and improvements. Topics of interest will include an update on the license plate reader camera installations and a report from our police security patrol. It is also your chance to bring up additional topics of concern and to ask questions about CAPE activities.
CAPE DUES
CAPE annual dues for 2019 are currently past due. The $100.00 annual fee is primarily used to pay for the off-duty police patrols in the neighborhood. Other costs covered are landscaping maintenance, utilities, and insurance for the common areas near Perkins Road, the CAPE website and email system, office and printing expenses, and the sponsored neighborhood social events throughout the year. If you are not sure whether you have paid your dues for this year, we will have a list available at the Open Meeting and you can pay with a check there.
We hope all residents will take advantage of this opportunity to meet with your CAPE Board of Directors and visit with your neighbors. We look forward to seeing all of you on November 12th, Tuesday night.
Civic Association of Pollard Estates
Board of Directors
It’s Halloween time again! Please be careful when driving around sunset and early evening hours on Halloween. There will be plenty of little ghosts and goblins wandering the streets of Pollard in search of goodies. Trick or Treat will last from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. Parents should accompany kids as they make their rounds, and please bring a flashlight so that you can be easily seen by drivers. As we did last year, please set up candy stations near the entrance to your driveway to make it easier for the kids to see you and get their rewards.
The winner of this year’s Halloween Decorating Contest is the Rice family at 2126 Pollard Parkway, near the front entrance to Pollard Estates. Be sure to stop by and see the great display that Dan and Erin Rice have assembled for your enjoyment. Other excellent displays can be found at the Gamble’s (5823 South Pollard Parkway), the Graham’s (5822 Clematis), the Dyer’s (1423 Pollard Parkway), and the Stein’s (5647 Hyacinth). Dress warmly since the weather forecast predicts temperatures in the 40’s for Halloween night. Good haunting and hunting to everyone.
Steve Oivanki, President
It's Halloween time again! Last years Trick of Treat was so successful, we decided to use the same format again this year.
With the all of young families now moving into the neighborhood, kids are everywhere, and so will be Trick or Treat. This year, we will have again have traditional Trick or Treat throughout the entire neighborhood!
Because Pollard Estates is quite large and the houses are somewhat far apart, with many trees that block light, and there are no sidewalks, we will have Trick or Treat from the streets rather than from each individual front door. With that in mind, here is the plan for Trick or Treat:
Trick or Treat will be from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, October 31. Anyone driving in the neighborhood at this time should take special precautions and watch for children!
Please give out candy in your driveway rather than having children knock on your door. This will keep them from having to walk all the way up the driveway and save them precious time to canvas the neighborhood for candy.
If you prefer to have kids knock, please remember to turn on your lights so they will know that knocking on your door means they get a special treat. Houses without lights on should be skipped by Trick or Treaters.
We usually have a handful of families that will host activities in their front yards to promote movement throughout the neighborhood, so if you are so inclined, please set up your tables and displays to be readily visible.
This is also a good time to meet and greet your neighbors at the end of your driveway.
Trick or Treaters should wear reflective or glow in the dark items and carry flashlights.
Trick or Treaters should also be accompanied by an adult.
We will have a Halloween decorating contest again this year, and the decorating contest will be judged on Friday, October 25 in the evening. The winner will be announced on Halloween Day.
Food Scavenger Hunt
Another October tradition is the St. Aloysius Junior High Youth Group Food Scavenger Hunt benefiting the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank. It will be happening on Sunday, October 13, 2019 in Pollard Estates and Woodchase. Students will be walking door-to-door collecting canned food donations. If you would like to contribute but will not be home that day, please leave a donation by your front door. The Food Bank truly appreciates your generosity with Thanksgiving just around the corner.
Fall is here, and cooler weather is promised next week. Let's hope the weather forecasters are right for a change and the seasons will progress in an orderly fashion from here on until Christmas.
Steve Oivanki, President
I hope this newsletter finds all of you enjoying the benefits of air conditioning. With temperatures in the mid to high 90s, it's a good time to binge-watch your favorite series, catch your favorite team on TV, or read a book inside. The hurricane season has been favorable to us so far, let's hope that trend continues.
Wine Walk - 6:30 pm September 27th
Due to popular demand from the last event, we have scheduled another Wine Walk for Friday, September 27th. Hopefully, the temperature will be more accommodating than it was for the last one. We are calling for all interested adult Pollard residents to pick out their favorite wine to participate. The format will be the same as last time; residents will drop off a bottle of wine per couple at Charlotte Guidroz's house, 5975 South Pollard Parkway. When all participants have been registered, we will distribute the wines among the Host stops along with crackers and cheeses to complement each wine. Each participant will bring their own wine glass. The Walk will proceed from stop to stop sampling wines along the way and enjoying neighborly conversations. We are again asking for volunteer Hosts to sponsor a stop at their driveway along the route. The route will be determined by the location of the Host stops throughout the neighborhood.
The Wine Walk will start at 6:30 pm on September 27th and will likely end around 9:00. The deadline for delivering your wines to Charlotte is 8:00 pm on Wednesday, September 25th. This will give us time to gather the appropriate complementary cheeses and other necessary supplies. We will have non-alcoholic beverages available for those who do not drink wine. A good time was had by all at the last Wine Walk, and we look forward to an even larger crowd this time.
Security
The license plate reader (LPR) camera system is finally coming to fruition. We've had numerous problems with proposed camera locations, securing permits from the city, getting approval from Entergy for power hookups, and structuring an appropriate agreement for donation of the camera system by a Pollard resident. George Caballero has been a bulldog in getting all of the problems resolved and we should finally be able to start the installation this month. The C.A.P.E. Board, along with the Woodchase subdivision board, will execute a contract for installation and sharing of monthly operating expenses. Hopefully these cameras will aid in reducing or eliminating the spate of burglaries and other criminal mischief that has recently occurred in Pollard Estates. Some of our off-duty police patrols have also been shifted to late-night/early morning to curb criminal activity occurring during that time period.
Pets
I see more dog owners walking their pets in the neighborhood every day with plastic poop-scoop bags to pick up waste. While that is encouraging, there are still come hold-outs who do not pick up their pet's droppings. Please be courteous and clean up after your dogs. The plastic bag that the daily newspaper is delivered in provides a handy, no-cost baggie to assist with this chore.
C.A.P.E. Dues
We have received dues from 67 percent of Pollard residents thus far for 2019. There will be another membership drive starting with the November Open Board Meeting. In addition to the various social events throughout the year, the primary use of C.A.P.E. dues is to pay for the off-duty police patrols in the neighborhood and the upkeep of the common grounds at the entrance on Perkins Road. If you have not yet paid your dues for this year, please do so as soon as possible.
I hope to see you all at the Wine Walk on September 27th.
Steve Oivanki, President
The Wine Walk we had last month was a rousing success. Thirty-five Pollard neighbors participated and we walked about one mile through the neighborhood enjoying good conversation, wines and cheese along the way. We would like to especially thank David and Joanna Faerber, Emmet and Melissa Healy, and Ryan and Holly Bilbo for hosting the stops along the route. Based on feedback from the participants, we will plan to have another Wine Walk later in the year when the temperature gets a little cooler. Thanks to all who participated to make this event a success.
Dues
Currently we have about 60% participation for 2019. In the next month, we will be distributing a notice to residents who have not paid 2019 dues. While some of our funding allows C.A.P.E to host various social events throughout the year, the primary use of dues collected is to pay for off-duty police patrols in the neighborhood and for maintenance of the common areas at the entrance on Perkins Road. If you wish to check on the status of your membership or pay online, please check our website or email mail@pollardestates.org for more information.
Neighborhood Security
There was a rash of burglaries, car break-ins, and other mischief in Pollard during the past few weeks. The crimes occurred in the early morning hours on South Pollard Parkway near the entrance from Quail and up past Dahlia, Hyacinth and Columbine. The perpetrators appeared to be on bicycles and the items stolen were items of convenience, either in the open or in unlocked cars.
If you have been a victim of a crime in Pollard, please call the Baton Rouge Police Department (225-389-3863) and report the crime. Feel free to email mail@pollardestates.org to provide additional details. Use our online Nextdoor community or Facebook page to share your story and any facts that may be pertinent for your neighbors to know. Additional information such as videos or photos from personal security cameras may be helpful in ongoing investigations.
The best deterrent to crime is not giving an opportunity for crime. The following tips may help you prevent crime, and, in doing so, you will help our police department to do a better job.
Leave exterior lights on all night.
Install good deadbolt locks and use them.
Use timers or smart lights for indoor and outdoor lights to come on at a set schedule.
Install home security cameras.
Adequately secure all windows with secondary locking devices.
Lock garage doors and windows. Make sure anything that could be taken is out of sight – lawn mowers, bikes, weed-trimmers, etc.
Keep cars in driveways locked and leave nothing in the car that could be seen and stolen.
Do not advertise that you are away from home.
Be neighborly but be suspicious of strangers in the area.
If you have an alarm system, turn it on every time you leave.
While you’re away:
Use timers or smart lights for indoor and outdoor lights to come on at a set schedule.
Make sure that newspapers and mail/packages are picked up. If you have an exterior mail box, delay of mail delivery can be requested through USPS.
Ask a neighbor to watch your home for ‘movers’ or ‘repair people’ when no one is home.
As an additional courtesy, our neighborhood off-duty patrol officers will monitor your house while you are away. Please contact George Caballero, C.A.P.E. Security, at mail@pollardestates.org. Include the dates that you will be away and the type of any vehicle that will be in the carport or driveway.
It’s HOT Outside
July and August are the hottest months in Louisiana, so stay cool and hydrated during outdoor activities.
Steve Oivanki, President
I hope this newsletter finds all of you enjoying the beautiful spring weather we have been having. Precipitation permitting, I walk every morning and evening on the BREC trail along Dawson Creek to the park on Kenilworth Parkway. The variety of birds and other wildlife present has definitely increased with the warmer weather. The snakes you will see swimming in the creek are usually harmless banded or diamondback water snakes. I’ve also seen green garter snakes, ribbon snakes, and speckled king snakes on the path.
As I am writing this, it is pouring rain outside (about 4-5 inches), and the entire BREC trail is flooded. The recent heavy rain a few weeks ago also flooded the entire trail, including the small bridge at about the halfway point. The flood left a thin slick of mud on the surface of the trail. While walking just after the flood, I noticed tracks where bicycles had traversed the trail, some with unwanted consequences. I saw a few spots where the tires had slipped on the new mud and thrown the riders unceremoniously onto the muddy trail. It’s like trying to ride a bike on ice. Be careful riding or walking in such conditions.
Security
The proposed license plate reader (LPR) camera system is moving forward. George Caballero and I met with the chosen camera vendor to determine the best placement for cameras at the two Pollard entrances. A final price quote has been delivered, and the C.A.P.E. Board, along with the Woodchase subdivision board, will soon execute a contract for installation. The C.A.P.E. cost for our share of the system is being negotiated for a possible donation from one of your Pollard neighbors. If this is successful, only the maintenance costs will need to be covered by the current dues collected. I will keep you informed as this important security system is developed.
Pets
I see a lot of dog owners walking their pets in the neighborhood every day. I want to remind pet owners that it is their responsibility to clean up their pet’s mess and not leave it in neighbors’ yards and in the streets. Many dog walkers do “pick up the poop” as they go, but there are still some that leave “land mines” for others to step in. Please be courteous and clean up after your dogs. The plastic bag that the daily newspaper is delivered in provides a handy, no-cost baggie to assist with this chore.
Dues
We have received dues from only 53 percent of Pollard residents thus far for 2019. There will be another membership drive later this month with dues notices delivered to residents who have not yet paid for this year. In addition to the various social events throughout the year, the primary use of C.A.P.E. dues is to pay for the off-duty police patrols in the neighborhood and the upkeep of the common grounds at the entrance on Perkins Road. If you have not yet paid your dues for this year, please do so as soon as possible.
Pollard Newcomers
I want to thank Bobby and Abby Gauthier for reaching out to new Pollard Estates residents as they move into our neighborhood. They volunteered to serve as a welcoming committee for new neighbors to acquaint them with the neighborhood, with C.A.P.E., and with the many factors that contribute to the quality of life we enjoy here. Keep up the good work.
Steve Oivanki, President
Well, Easter is only three weeks away, so it’s time to start thinking about an Easter Egg Hunt. The annual Pollard Estates Easter Egg Hunt will take place on April 14th at the same location as last year – the vacant lot behind 5815 Hibiscus – from 3 to 5 pm. The Easter Bunny will make an appearance again and there will be snow cones and water for refreshments. Charlotte Guidroz, our Social Events Chairperson, will collect the eggs from participants at her house located at 5975 South Pollard Parkway. Parents should bring 2 dozen plastic eggs for each child pre-stuffed with individually wrapped candy or small toys. Chocolate is not recommended since it will melt in the afternoon sun and be very messy when unwrapped. Please bring the eggs beginning on April 6th and no later than 5 pm on April 13th. A sign-up sheet will be available on the front porch to identify each participating child. You must be paid up with your CAPE dues for this year to participate.
Security
The March 25th CAPE Open Board Meeting was a success with approximately 50 residents attending. The security briefing by D,A. Hillar Moore emphasized the need for vigilance to prevent criminal activity in Pollard Estates. Our neighborhood is a relatively crime-free area due to its isolation with only two entrances. The opening to Rouzan through Woodchase will add to the pass-through traffic, however, and likely increase the potential for casual thefts and burglaries. The license plate reader (LPR) cameras proposed will give the police a heads-up on potential criminals by recording all entering vehicles and comparing them to the state suspect vehicle database in real time. Both Woodchase and Rouzan plan to install LPR cameras at their entrances, and Pollard would share in the same camera system. Since Woodchase and Pollard share the same two entrances, the cost of installing cameras will be shared by both neighborhoods.
A show of hands vote at the open meeting resulted in a unanimous approval for installation of LPR cameras in Pollard Estates. The cost for the cameras is still not known, since the police department is evaluating several potential suppliers. It is estimated that Pollard’s share of the camera cost will be between $6,000 and $8,000 installed. The monthly fees for electricity and wireless connection to police headquarters would be covered by the current CAPE dues. A one-time fee for camera installation would be requested from each Pollard household. The separate fee request will be sent when the final cost is fixed. The current off-duty police patrols will continue as before.
Traffic
The current speed limit in Pollard Estates is 25 MPH. A new stop sign has been installed at the Pollard Parkway/South Columbine intersection. Please observe all stop signs and speed limits. We have requested a portable flashing speed indicator to be placed on Pollard Parkway to remind drivers to slow down. It will be in place as soon as the city traffic department has one available.
Dues
We are currently at 47% of members paid for 2019. Please pay your current dues so that we can continue to provide the services and neighborhood events that make Pollard Estates such a wonderful place to live. Dues ($100) can be paid by check mailed to CAPE, P.O. Box 14581, Baton Rouge, LA 70898; or by logging on to our website, PollardEstates.org, to pay with a credit card.
Welcome to spring!
Steve Oivanki, President
This will be my first newsletter since being chosen as President of CAPE by my fellow Board members in February. Kelley Stein has resigned as president due to pressing family considerations. I have lived in Pollard Estates since 2006, purchasing my father’s house after he moved to a nursing home. I moved here from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, following Hurricane Katrina, although I was born and raised in Baton Rouge.
The city has grown tremendously over the years, and with the increase in population also comes an increase in crime. Burglaries, car vandalism, and general pilfering of visible items in Pollard Estates have become an increasing problem that will only multiply with the opening of the Rouzan entrances to Woodchase. We are fortunate in Pollard to have only two entrances (three counting the connection to Woodchase). In the resident survey conducted last year, security was voiced as a major concern. Your CAPE Board, in conjunction with the Woodchase Board and Rouzan, has come up with a way to increase security at a nominal cost. The City of Baton Rouge and the Baton Rouge Police Department are encouraging the installation of license plate reader cameras at neighborhood entrances to assist the Police Department in monitoring for illegal activity. Rouzan, Woodchase, and Pollard Estates would be connected to a system of high-definition cameras installed at all entrances. All three developments have agreed to share the costs of the system.
The camera installations would be paid for by the neighborhoods. The cameras would be directly linked in real-time to the police computer system at headquarters. License plates would be scanned in their system to search for known perpetrators, stolen vehicles or plates, or suspicious vehicles. Many burglars use stolen cars to commit their crimes to avoid being tracked. When a suspicious vehicle is logged by the cameras, police can be immediately dispatched to the area before a crime is committed. If a crime is committed, then the cameras can be used to identify possible suspects for police to solve the crime.
The two main entrances to Pollard Estates, Perkins Road and Quail Avenue, would have cameras installed. Because these entrances also serve Woodchase, Pollard would only be required to pay for one camera, Woodchase would cover the second camera. Rouzan has also agreed to install cameras throughout their development. The cost for the cameras has yet to be determined since several systems are being evaluated for compatibility by the city. A one-time assessment will likely be necessary to install the camera in Pollard, but the cost per individual resident should be fairly low. The cameras would function in addition to and complement our regular off-duty police patrols currently in effect.
Steve Oivanki, President
Those of you who know me also know that I really love Halloween. Not only is it so creative and fun, but it also offers up a wonderful way to meet your neighbors through Trick or Treat!
In years past, Trick or Treat has been dead in Pollard Estates. It has recently been brought back to life "in the back" and we are so grateful for the many people who have helped to make that happen. With the influx of young families moving into the neighborhood, it's time to expand. This year, we will have traditional Trick or Treat throughout the entire neighborhood!
Pollard Estates is quite large, the houses are somewhat far apart, our many beautiful trees block light and there are no sidewalks. This means we will need to get creative on each street to help our little monsters get all of the candy they possibly can and as safely as they can. With that in mind, here is the plan for Trick or Treat:
Trick or Treat will be from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, October 31. Anyone driving in the neighborhood at this time should take special precautions and watch for children!
Please give out candy in your driveway rather than having children knock on your door. This will keep them from having to walk all the way up the driveway and save them precious time to canvas the neighborhood for candy.
If you prefer to have kids knock, please remember to turn on your lights so they will know that knocking on your door means they get a special treat. Houses without lights on should be skipped by Trick or Treaters.
We have a handful of families that will host activities in their front yards to promote movement throughout the neighborhood but we could use a few more so please register HERE if interested! A list of homes with special activities will be emailed out on Monday, October 29. Please look for that email and share it with your kids and neighbors!
The houses having special activities will also be our hay ride stops for the night. We are looking for people who would be willing to drive hay rides around to these hay ride stops. Please let us know if you have a truck and trailer and are interested in helping!
Trick or Treaters should wear reflective or glow in the dark items and carry flashlights.
Trick or Treaters should be accompanied be accompanied by an adult.
Finally, the Halloween decorating contest will be judged on Thursday, October 25 in the evening and the winner will be announced on Halloween Day.
I hope you all will get in the spooky spirit of Trick or Treat and give Pollard Estates children a Halloween they will never forget!
Kelley Stein, President
September is here and that means 2 things: Football and Halloween! Your CAPE Board is busy planning a handful of activities to bring us together this fall and we hope you will join us!
Our first Tailgate Party is next weekend! We will have the LSU vs. Auburn game on TV and encourage residents to bring out their best tailgate gear! Many thanks to the LaBorde Family for hosting the party on their property. Up next is our Halloween Decorating Contest and traditional Trick or Treat which will take place throughout the entire neighborhood this year. We need volunteer support for Trick or Treat so please let us know if you are interested in helping. You can see details on all 3 events below, on our website, on our Facebook Group Page and on the Nextdoor app. Get out and join us, and please invite your neighbors! A big thank you goes out to Charlotte Guidroz for planning these events for all of us to enjoy!
August was a whirlwind with the start of school, but we did manage to pull off a great CAPE Membership Drive thanks to the efforts of your Board of Directors, especially Chris Eldredge and Thomas Tyler. Every resident who had not paid dues by August first received another invoice via US Post. We also personally called each resident who had not yet paid. (This showed that a lot of our contact information for residents needs to be updated. Please let us know if your email or phone number has changed or if you no longer live in Pollard Estates.) Our efforts yielded 19 new members in the August drive! We are now just 13 homes away from reaching our 70% participation in CAPE. This is a tremendous success rate as most neighborhood associations struggle to reach 50%. Thank you all for your support!
All residents who paid their 2018 dues by September 1 were entered into a drawing to receive FREE dues for 2019. The winners of that drawing are David and Myria Butler of 1483 Dahlia! Congratulations and thank you for supporting CAPE!
One of our new Government Relations chairs, Blake Breedlove, recently met with Fred Raiford and Kyle Huffstickler with the Baton Rouge Department of Drainage and Transportation. We are happy to report that cleaning out of Dawson Creek (and other area tributaries) was approved by the federal government and will go out for bid in late 2018 or early 2019 as part of the Comite Diversion and EBR Flood Risk Management Project. They will be clearing Dawson Creek of fallen trees as well as trees growing inside the banks after the job is awarded. Fred hopes to take it all the way up to Claycut, so Pollard Estates will definitely be involved. Thank you, Blake, for keeping us informed of this project!
As always, we appreciate your efforts in making Pollard Estates the best neighborhood in Baton Rouge! Please feel free to reach out to us at any time with questions, comments or concerns as your feedback is vital to our success.
Kelley Stein, President
It's August and that means 2 things in Pollard Estates: Another CAPE Membership Drive and children are going back to school!
Our Spring Membership Drive was quite successful and we're hoping to continue the momentum this August. We will have signs out for the remainder of the month reminding you to pay dues and invoices are going out to those who have yet to pay for 2018. Additionally, anyone who has paid their 2018 dues prior to August 31 will be entered into a drawing for FREE 2019 dues! We are just 32 homes away from meeting our goal of 70% participation. Please join CAPE today at PollardEstates.org. You can pay online and set up reoccurring payments so that you don't even have to think about it next year!
Back to school is the perfect time to address the speeding issue we have in Pollard Estates. I waited at the bus stop with my kids this morning and saw firsthand how out of control the situation really is. Most of the drivers I saw were also quite distracted and looking down instead of looking at the road, and most were residents of Pollard Estates. It was frightening to see, especially knowing that my children (age 11 and 4) will get on and off the bus within feet of these numerous distracted and speeding drivers. I know we are all rushed all the time, especially in the mornings, but there are many small children in our neighborhood who require and deserve a safe environment to get on / off the bus, ride bikes, play, etc. I saw joggers and people on bikes who also require and deserve this safety. And I saw other drivers who were paying attention and obeying the speed limit who also require and deserve to be safe on the road. Speeding and distracted driving puts all of their lives (and your own) at risk.
Your CAPE Board is working very hard to keep our neighborhood streets safe. We have 3 more stop signs that we are working on getting installed: On South Pollard Parkway at South Columbine (both directions); on Dahlia at Hibiscus and Hyacinth (both directions); and on Pollard Parkway at Dahlia (by the front entrance in both directions). In the coming weeks, some of you will get a knock on your door to sign a petition for installation of these additional stop signs. We are doing this because speeding in the neighborhood is out of control and because many, many neighbors have requested it. Please let us know if you would like to help with the petition process.
I would like to encourage you all to report the license plate number of speeders and distracted drivers. The number to report non-emergency matters is 225-389-2000. Please let us know after you make the report so that we can have our security patrol follow up.
Please remind all drivers in your household that the speed limit is 25 MPH.
Kelley Stein, President
I hope everyone had a safe, fun and relaxing Independence Day with family and friends. CAPE celebrated the holiday the weekend prior to the 4th with our annual Summer Party. We promised water games at the party and we certainly delivered - the rain cooled everything off nicely and allowed for kids to really have some wet and wild fun. Thank you so much to Matt Gamble et al for the amazing food (hamburgers, hot dogs and apple pie), to Charlotte Guidroz for handling the snow ball stand and donating the watermelons, and to Steve Oivanki and Richard McKay for helping with set up. There were several people jumping in to help. If I missed your name, please know we appreciate your help! Everyone had a good time and the rain just made it more interesting. Thank God for pop up tents!
I would like to give an extended shout out to Matt Gamble who is stepping down from the CAPE board as Events chair. Matt has been on the board for several years and always brings a lighthearted level of enthusiasm to our events. We appreciate all you have done and continue to do for the neighborhood! Charlotte Guidroz will be taking over for Matt for the remainder of his term.
We also would like to thank Chris Haslitt for all of his hard work and dedication to CAPE as the Government Relations chair for the past 2 years. Chris is also stepping down and we will certainly miss his analytical and common sense approach to problem solving. The Government Relations chair will now be split into 2 seats. The first will focus on issues within the geographic footprint of Pollard Estates, like stop signs and drainage. This position is being taken over by Blake Breedlove. The second will focus on issues outside of Pollard Estates, like nearby construction (Rouzan) and Perkins Road Overpass changes, which will certainly affect our neighborhood. This seat is being taken over by Patrick Downs.
Please join me in thanking Matt, Chris, Charlotte, Blake and Patrick for volunteering their time to the betterment of the entire neighborhood.
We are still hovering around 60% of the neighborhood as members of CAPE. Please continue encouraging your neighbors to become members. Our next CAPE board meeting is closed, however you can request attendance or discussion of a particular topic by emailing Mail@PollardEstates.org. Our next social event is the September 15 Football Party for LSU vs. Auburn. Look for details on that coming soon. We hope to see you all there!
Kelley Stein, President
