5 Things You Need to Know Today: January 19

1. Reduce the risk of burglaries by participating in a Block Watch program.

Block Watch is a national program that promotes neighborhood safety by getting people who live near one another to work together and keep an eye out.

Many neighborhood associations in the Shoreline-Lake Forest Park area already participate in Block Watch programs, but you can get involved simply by scheduling a meeting with an officer from the Shoreline Police Department.

Block Watch programs don’t demand a lot of extra work. They help neighbors organize useful information such as phone numbers of homeowners on the block, license plate numbers of cars that belong to people who live nearby, and when neighbors will be out of town.

Check out the City of Shoreline’s Block Watch brochure for more information about how to organize an official Block Watch program in your neighborhood.

2. The City of Shoreline provides a printable Home Security Checklist to help prevent break-ins.

From the checklist:

• Don’t leave spare keys under the mat or in the mailbox. Instead, leave a spare key with a trusted neighbor.
• Install anti-slide locks on all windows in the house.
• Trim shrubs so no one can hide in them.
• Display house neighbors clearly so emergency vehicles can easily find your home
• Use light timers when going on vacation.
• Register bicycles with the Shoreline Police Department and make sure they are locked when not in use.
• Engrave valuables such as televisions and power tools with identifying information. You can use an engraving tool from the Shoreline Police Department.

3. The Washington State Department of Transportation is reminding drivers that although four-wheel drive vehicles have better traction in the snow, they do not stop any better than two-wheel drive vehicles.

The WSDOT says drivers in four-wheel drive vehicles tend to be overconfident in the winter.

4. The City of Shoreline Surface Water Utility will host an open house tonight at 6 p.m. in City Hall to talk about its services to residents of Shoreline and discuss updates to the Surface Water Master Plan.

Residents are encouraged to bring questions and feedback about drainage, flooding and water quality. Staff will be on hand to answer questions.

5. Democrats in the Legislature have unveiled a proposal to soften state cuts and save the state’s Disability Lifeline program, which supports people who are unable to work. The program has been in limbo since the state cut funding last summer and Gov. Gregoire proposed eliminating it entirely when she presented her budget last month.

The legislature would still have to find ways to squeeze money because the proposal does not completely fill the budget shortfall.