Outdoor conservation tips:

• When washing a car, use a bucket and sponge. Wash car on grass if possible to recycle water.

• Sweep sidewalks and driveways instead of hosing them down.

• If you have automatic sprinklers, be sure to turn them off if rainfall has been sufficient for your yard’s needs.

• Use native or drought-resistant plants that will minimize long-term water consumption.

Indoor Conservation tips:

• Check your toilet periodically for leaks; toilets are the number one water consuming fixture indoors.

• Turn off water while brushing your teeth or shaving, rather than running a steady stream.

• Limit showers to five minutes.

• For efficient water use make sure dishwasher and washing machine are full before running.

• Avoid using your toilet for a wastebasket or ashtray; extra flushes waste water and money.

• Keep a pitcher of drinking water in teh refrigerator. This will save water you might otherwise waste when you let the faucet run until the water is cool.

• Retrofit all outdated water fixtures with newer water-conserving fixtures.

Wild turkeys invade Veneta neighborhoods.

This month’s newsletter from the city of Veneta has an interesting report.

Apparently wild turkeys have flocked to town, wreaking havoc on flower beds, lawns and coating property with turkey doo.

Veneta Community Services Director Brian Issa, quoted in the city’s newsletter, says: “They are taking over the neighborhoods. People need to know that they are not pond geese and they will cause an issue.”

You can read the entire article by Ephraim Payne here. It offers tips on how to handle wild turkey encounters, as well as some background on why they have appeared in Veneta.

This is a resource of news and information for current residents, as well as a gateway to our community for prospective residents.

Got something to say? If you’re a member of the community and you’ve got an announcement, a testimonial or information you’d like to share, e-mail it to shalimarmobilehomepark@gmail.com and we’ll see if we can get it posted here.

We’ve just developed a new website for our community, which you can view here. Shalimar also now has a Facebook page and Twitter account. Look for more big announcements in the coming weeks.