Listed below is information that may be of interest to you!
Just "click" on the topic for prompt viewing.

Are You "Okay" Program - Contact the LHP Police Department
Beautification Committee - News
Bicycle Helmet Laws - Florida laws requires
Broward Meals on Wheels - Services for Senior Citizens
Call 511 - Don't Get Stuck in Traffic
Census 2000 - City of Lighthouse Point
City Commission meetings - When and where!
Daily Animal Intake - Broward County
Dial 211 - First Call for Help
FEMA - Federal Emergency Management Agency - Flood Information
Goodbye Junk Mail! - Details on a free service!
Kid Saver/Photo ID - Crime Stoppers of Broward County
Lifeline Assistance Program - Who to contact!
Red Cross - Flood Emergency, Recovery, and Repair Information
Senior Citizen Exemption - Requirements and contacts!
Solicitation Calls - How to lessen the number!
Solicitation News - Strict laws within LHP
Volunteer Service - Boards and committees

FEMA - FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY - FLOOD INFORMATION
Lighthouse Point is in a flood-prone area. We want to encourage everyone to secure adequate flood insurance protection. To learn more about the National Flood Insurance Program, call your local insurance agent. There is normally a 30-day waiting period before a new policy is issued. For elevation information call Lighthouse Point Building Department at 954-943-6509.

Information from the Federal Emergency Management Agency pertaining to property protection measures, flood safety, and flood insurance, may be obtained by "clicking" any of the following seven websites:

Flood Information

Protect Your Property, Home, or Business from Disaster

Before a Flood

During a Flood

After a Flood

National Flood Insurance Program

Flood insurance information for prospective buyers - Prepare/Participate/Protect

Recovering from and Coping with Flood Damaged Property

For further information about flood insurance protection visit the Building and Zoning page of our website under Departments. Information may be downloaded from the Federal Emergency Mangement Agency on the National Flood Insurance Program.

Flood Warning
The City and Broward County have warning systems. Warnings will be given on TV and radio. Tune in to these media for instructions during times of possible flooding. Evacuation information will be made available.

Flood Safety
Being aware of the steps to take prior to a flood to minimize your loss is the first step to safety. Tune in to radio and TV for flood warnings. Heed warnings from officials and evacuate promptly when orders are given. Turn off your electric and gas before evacuation. Know your evacuation zone and route to the designated shelter. Have a small bag of essentials prepared. Be cautious at night. Have battery-operated flashlights, radios, and TVs in working condition. Do not panic.

RED CROSS - RECOVERY FROM FLOOD
Information from The Red Cross pertaining to recovering from a flood and emergency protection, may be obtained at the following websites:

Emergency Protection Measures

Recovery from a Flood

Repairing Your Flooded Home

511 TRAVEL INFO
South Florida's traveler information telephone system that provides real-time traffic reports to motorists in Broward, Palm Beach, and Miami-Dade counties, and also throughout the State of Florida.

A 24/7 operation that uses traffic data from highway sensors, cameras, aerial surveillance, emergency frequencies and mobile reports to provide up-to-the-minute traffic conditions and incident reports.

For more details about the traffic and travel service provided when dialing 511, go on-line to the 511 web-site at www.511southflorida.com.

KID SAVER/PHOTO ID
In an effort to aid police in the quick recovery of missing children Crime Stoppers of Broward County has designed a photo identification system to record vital information for parents. The specially designed computer program by Asterx Software, Inc., captures a child's photo and fingerprints, and places them on a pre-printed card which contains space for vital information. This card is presented to parents for safe keeping. On the back of the card are tips for keeping a child safe and secure.

Crime Stoppers will attend functions that attract children and their parents and provide the service free of charge. A second system is also available to local police departments. We will also provide the service to families of the elderly who are concerned about those loved ones who may wander off and not be able to find their way home.

For information on how to enroll in this proram call Carol Roe of Crime Stoppers of Broward County at 954-831-8978.

CITY COMMISSION MEETINGS
City Commission meetings are held on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at 7:30 PM in Dixon Ahl Hall, located at 2220 N.E. 38th Street. An agenda is posted on the website and copies are available at 4:00 PM the Friday prior to each meeting.

FLORIDA BICYCLE HELMET LAWS - Florida law requires
Bicycle riders and passengers under 16 years of age must wear a properly fitted and secured bicycle helmet that meets nationally recognized standards for bicycle helmets. This includes a child who is riding in a trailer or semi-trailer attached to a bicycle.

A bicycle may not be used to carry more people than it is designed or equipped to carry. Bicycle riders carrying a passenger under four years old, weighing 40 pounds or less, must secure the child in a seat or carrier that is designed to carry a child of that age or size and protect them from the moving parts of the bicycle.

Bicycle riders may not allow a passenger to remain in a child seat or carrier on a bicycle when the rider is not in immediate control of the bicycle. A person may not rent or lease any bicycle that will be ridden by a child under 16 years of age unless the child possesses a bicycle helmet or is provided a helmet by the person renting or leasing the bicycle.

* Florida has one of the highest rates of injuries and deaths from bicycle crashes.
* Head injuries are the cause of over 75% of all bicycle fatalities.
* Bicycle helmets reduce the risk of head injury by 85% and brain damage by almost 90%.
* It does not take speed to kill, just a lack of protection. Even a minor fall can produce head trauma severe enough to result in permanent disability or death.

Please follow these safety tips:
. Let your child help pick out the helmet. They will be more likely to wear a helmet they like. Purchase special helmet decals and allow your child to personalize their own helmet.
. Always insist that your child wear the helmet. Anyone can get hurt anywhere.
. Set a good example and wear a helmet yourself!!

SOLICITATION NEWS
The City of Lighthouse Point has strict solicitation laws. Anyone who knocks on doors to sell goods, wares, or merchandise must contact the City Clerk's Office as well as the Police Department for permission prior to soliciting. Chapter 62 of the City Code of Ordinances regulates soliciting and states that no person shall solicit except between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and soliciting is not permitted at all on Sundays and holidays. Solicitors must first display a letter issued by the Police Department and City Clerk before attempting to solicit, and must leave the premises when requested to do so.

All solicitors must obtain this list prior to soliciting and may be reported to the Police Department if they violate the request.

If you have any questions as to the status of any solicitor, you may call the Police Department 954-942-8080, or the City Clerk’s Office 954-943-6500.

Additionally, you may request to be placed on a No Solicitors List if you do not want anyone knocking on your door.

Notice of No Solicitations Form

is available here or pick up a copy in the City Clerk’s Office. Upon completion of the form it may be dropped off at either the City Clerk's Office or at the Police Department.

Please note: Religious or political groups that are not selling goods or merchandise, or asking for money, are not regulated by Chapter 62 of the City of Lighthouse Point Code of Ordinances. They do not have to abide by the No Solicitors List nor the hours of solicitation, nor do they have to register with the City.

SENIOR CITIZEN EXEMPTION
If you are 65 years of age or older, own property in Lighthouse Point, and have an annual household income of $20,000 or less, you may be eligible to claim a second $25,000 Homestead Exemption (more commonly known as the Senior Citizen Homestead Exemption). The City Commission recently passed an ordinance which provides that an additional $25,000 Homestead Exemption for senior citizens 65 years or older shall be authorized to taxpayers satisfying several requirements, as listed above. This exemption applies only to the County and City tax portions, and not to the entire tax bill, and you must file annually for this exemption.

To find out whether you meet those requirements, and how to qualify, you may call the Broward County Property Appraiser's Office at 954-357-6830, or access their website at www.bcpa.net.

"ARE YOU OKAY" PROGRAM
This Lighthouse Point Police Department Program is designed to check up on residents who may be elderly, ill, or alone. They are called daily to be sure they are "OK." The calls are computer generated and if after 3 calls made at 10 minute intervals no answer is received, an alert is printed and an officer is dispatched to the home to make personal contact. If you or anyone you know is in need of this service, please call the Lighthouse Point Police Department at 954-942-8080.

VOLUNTEER SERVICE
There are many ways you can contribute your time and talents to your City. If you would like to volunteer to serve on a city Board or committee pick up an application form at the City Clerk's office or for more information phone 954-943-6500.

BEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE NEWS
Landscape tip – Plan before you plant. Choose suitable trees and palms for planting around your home, near powerlines, for courtyards, patios, lawns, and streetscapes. For further information, contact your landscaper, garden supply store, or visit Florida Power and Light’s website and download or request a copy of “Plant the Right Tree: South Florida.” If there is a chance that the site you pick has underground wiring or cables, contact “not cuts” at 800-432-4770 and be safe rather than sorry.

LIFELINE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AND LINK-UP FLORIDA
The Florida Public Service Commission wants you to know that you may be eligible to participate in the Lifeline Assistance Program and Link-Up Florida, and receive financial assistance towards your telephone bill. If you qualify for the Lifeline Assistance Program, you could save up to $11.35 on your local monthly phone bill (federal credit of $7.85 with a credit from the phone company of $3.50). The Link-Up Florida program offers up to 50% reduction in the telephone service hook-up charge, up to a maximum of $30.00.

In order to participate, you must be receiving benefits under one of the following Programs: food stamps, Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Temporary Cash Assistance (WAGES), Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), or Federal Public Housing Assistance (Section 8). If you qualify, just call AT&T(800-540-7039) and request this benefit; you will be required to provide documentation to the telephone company showing that you are enrolled in one of the above programs.

For additional information, you may call the Florida Public Service Commission at 1-800-342-3552, or go on-line to their web-site at www.psc.state.fl.us.

SOLICITATION CALLS LIST
Tired of receiving unsolicited phone calls? Did you know you can do something to lessen the number of calls you receive?

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is required by law to maintain a No Sales Solicitation Calls list for Florida residents who don’t want to be bothered by telemarketers. For a nominal fee ($10.00 initially; then $5.00 annual renewal fee thereafter), you can request to be placed on this List, which is updated four times a year. The Florida law which governs this list prohibits telephone solicitations before 8:00 a.m. and after 9:00 p.m. The use of an automated solicitation device with a recorded message is also not permissible under this law. Pre-printed post cards are provided to all subscribers so that any violators may be reported to the Department, or complaints may also be made on line.

There are, however, some instances where telephone sales solicitation firms are exempt from provisions of the law:
· Anything pertaining to the newspaper business, charitable organizations, or political candidates or political parties
· When responding to an express request by the person called
· In reference to an existing debt or contract
· Any person with whom the solicitor has a previous or existing business relationship.

For more information on this law or subscribing to the List, you may call the Department of Agriculture and Consumers Services at 800-435-7352, or visit their website at www.800helpfla.com.

GOODBYE, JUNK MAIL!
The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) has a free service through which you can request to have your name and address taken off national mailing lists. The service is called Mail Preference Service (MPS), and when you register, your name and address are placed in a “removal file.” All businesses affiliated with DMA are required to remove all the registrants in this file off their mailing lists. This “file” is updated four times a year and your name remains active for five years.

The Direct Marketing Association advises that it takes approximately three months from the time your name is entered in the file before you will notice any significant decrease in mail. For further information, go on line to www.the-dma.org, or mail your name, home address, and signature in a letter or post card to:

Mail Preference Service
Direct Marketing Association
P.O. Box 9008
Farmingdale, NY 11735-9008

DIAL 211 - FIRST CALL FOR HELP
2-1-1 Broward is excited and pleased to officially introduce to you their new web site. Every aspect of 2-1-1’s Internet presence has been updated and revamped to provide a user-friendly web based access to 2-1-1’s services.

Every page of their new site, http://www.211-broward.org, provides access to the new Quick Search for Services. Quick Search provides downloadable lists of the agencies and programs most frequently given as referrals for a wide range of needs. Their home page also provides links to 2-1-1’s Online Database as well as links to other 2-1-1 databases throughout Florida and the nation.

Their new Special Needs page can be accessed from the 2-1-1 home page or directly by going to http://www.211-broward.org/specialneedsindex.htm. It is especially designed for parents of children with special needs providing a FAQ section, community resources, support groups, a special needs calendar of events and opportunities for parent feedback.

Their home page also contains the link to their new 2-1-1 Community Calendar. Providers who would like to publish items to the calendar may submit them directly online or email your information to info@211-broward.org.

Their re-designed Resources Online site can be accessed from the home page or entered directly by going to http://www.irissoft.com/fcfb. This database is available free of charge to everyone in the community and is searchable by keyword or agency/program name. Information in the database is updated at a minimum of once a month. As information changes, providers may also notify 2-1-1 online at anytime.

2-1-1 Broward would like to encourage you to make use of all of these new web based tools and welcomes your feedback. If you have any questions or have a technical issue, please feel free to email them at info@211-browad.org or call 2-1-1 Information Services at (954) 390-7601, Monday – Friday, 8:30 am – 5:00 pm.

CENSUS - 2000
City of Lighthouse Point
Profile of General Demographic Characteristics 2000
click here

BROWARD MEALS ON WHEELS
Broward Meals on Wheels, 5950 West Oakland Park Boulevard, Suite 301, Lauderhill, Florida 33313, provides a variety of meal services for senior citizens through various funding.

For more information
Phone 954-731-8770
Fax 954-731-7131
Outreach 954-731-8788
Volunteering 954-731-8770 X119
Private Meal Services 954-731-8770 X 115
website www.bmow.com
email bmow@bmow.com

BROWARD COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER DAILY INTAKE
To make it easier for pet owners to find lost or missing pets, the Broward County Animal Care and Regulation Division has added a list with descriptions of all animals impounded by the Division to its website www.broward.org/animal. Just click on "Daily Animal Intake" to find Intake Date, Animal ID, Shelter Location, Breed, Color, and other pertinent information about the animal.

For additional information about the Animal Daily Shelter Intake List, call Animal Care at 954-359-1313.