I saw this in the news today and thought it important enough to post.   There is a crew of daytime burglars targeting Orange County, New York to Sussex, New Jersey to Pike County, Pennsylvania in a channel across 3 states.   They are kicking open doors while the residents are at work.  They are stealing whatever can be grabbed quickly; cash, jewelry, TV's, laptops, electronics and other valuables.  Four burglaries have occurred in less than two weeks in my immediate area of Greenville, Minisink and Wawayanda.   The police and FBI also believe they may be knocking on the doors to see if anyone is home before they kick them in.  They may also be pretending to look for a particular person if someone happens along.

PROTECT YOURSELF!

1.  Always lock all your doors and windows before you leave your residence.
2.  If you have a security system make sure you arm it before you leave.
3.  Remove all of your valuables from where they might be seen through a window.      (ie:  laptops etc....)
4.  Keep dogs inside whenever possible to discourage entry.  
5.  Keep all of your bushes trimmed low around windows and doors so they cannot      hide anyone trying to get in.  
6.  Have motion sensor lights installed outside so that if someone approaches the
     house a light will go on alerting you and possibly deterring them.
7.  Consider timers for your indoor lights that are on a schedule for
     all different times and rooms.  

This is usually the worst and heaviest time of year for break-ins and with the economy the way it is this year could be especially rough.  Take the time to protect your biggest investment!

Photo by Debra Walsh, Copyright © 2009 Debra Walsh. All Rights Reserved.  This photo may not be reproduced, used or transmitted without the express, written permission of Debra Walsh of Minisink Valley Homes Real Estate in Slate Hill, NY.  Thank you for not plagiarizing!

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This past Saturday we had plans to go out to dinner with friends of ours from New Jersey and therefore we were dining in a place that was in between our homes. Our husbands had picked a place that they thought would be convenient for us relative to the drive we would have to make. None of us had ever been to this restaurant so we were taking a big risk. LOL We went to a place called PORTOBELLO in Oakland, NJ. All that day it had been raining and by the time it came time to leave it was a virtual monsoon. But we headed out anyway since it was just rain. Our drive took us a little over an hour because of the weather and when we got there it couldn't have been raining any harder. We pulled up to this absolutely beautiful building and the parking lot was packed. Not a spot in the lot. Thank goodness for reservations!

After getting dropped off at the front door, the husbands dropped the cars at an adjacent lot, (thank goodness for umbrellas!) and we were seated after everyone was all in. They don't seat unless your whole party is there. Inside and out the place is absolutely gorgeous. They handed us each 2 full menus (not sure what that was about) and I was so aggravated that I hadn't thought to bring my camera! They had all types of food and we were told that Mediterranean style food was served on the second floor. Very interesting! I had a seafood dish and my husband a chicken dish that was delicious! The whole point of my post is to say that the service was excellent, the food terrific and I would highly recommend the Portobello Restaurant to anyone. It was well worth the long ride and I would do it again! But make reservations because they were packed for every minute of the several hours we were there.