Hey neighbors, We wanted to bring something important to everyone's attention: there have been recent sightings of bears in our neighborhood. It's crucial that we all stay vigilant and take necessary precautions to ensure our safety and the safety of our community and children. The bears (a mother and her cub) have been seen at the playground at various times throughout the day. These sightings serve as a reminder that we share our environment with wildlife, and it's essential to respect their space while also taking steps to minimize potential conflicts. The information below comes directly from the WA State Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) to help us coexist safely: • Remember- Bears are typically present because of an attractant. • On garbage pickup day when garbage cans are out you can use bleach or pine sol and pour it either in or around your can, or soak rags and place them on top to help mask the smell of food. • We also request you take down bird/suet feeders as bears are attracted to these as well. • BBQ’s and/or firepits need to be cleaned to remove any food smell as well. If after you’ve tried the above methods and the bear continues to return, please contact WILDCOMM at 360-902-2936 Opt. 1 to file a report. Remember- bears rely heavily on smells and their hearing to get around and to locate food.  Making noise can work very well in deterring certain bears, so something as simple as clapping your hands or using a noise maker can be effective in deterring them.  It is very important to know that you could be cited for feeding dangerous wildlife either intentionally or unintentionally: RCW 77.15.792 Intentionally feeding or attempting to feed large wild carnivores or intentionally attracting large wild carnivores to land or a building—Penalty. (1) A person may not intentionally feed or attempt to feed large wild carnivores or intentionally attract large wild carnivores to land or a building. (2) A person who intentionally feeds, attempts to feed, or attracts large wild carnivores to land or a building is guilty of a misdemeanor. (3) A person who is issued an infraction under RCW 77.15.790for negligently feeding, attempting to feed, or attracting large wild carnivores to land or a building, and who fails to contain, move, or remove the food, food waste, or other substance within twenty-four hours of being issued the infraction, is guilty of a misdemeanor Here is a link that talks a bit more about living in an area with bears and how to avoid conflict with them: https://wdfw.wa.gov/species-habitats/species/ursus-americanus   Here is a link that talks about why bears are not relocated more often: https://wdfw.medium.com/why-cant-more-black-bears-be-relocated-following-conflicts-e7c40700dbbd Stay safe! MRE HOA

Hello MRE residents, I hope you are all well. I am writing this post to inform you about a disturbing incident that occurred last night in our neighborhood. One of our community's mailboxes was vandalized, and the act was caught on camera. The footage shows a pick-up truck (what appears to be) intentionally ramming and knocking over the mailbox located on the East side of 156th Street. The mailbox was not taken. It is currently in the possession of the HOA until repairs can be made to it sometime next week. You are affected if your address falls within these ranges: 13945 - 13972 SE 156th St 14007 - 14020 SE 156th Ct Our mail carrier, Brian, will have all of your mail held at the post office on 116th in Renton if you wish to go pick them up. Otherwise, they will be delivered in bulk once repairs have been made. Please share this information with your neighbors who may be affected but does not have access to this forum post and may not have the most up to date information. Some facts about the incident: 1.     Cooperation with Authorities: First and foremost, we have reported the incident to the local authorities, providing them with the video evidence. Cooperation with law enforcement is essential in identifying the perpetrators and holding them accountable for their actions. The more evidence we can gather, the better chance we have of bringing those responsible to justice. We will be pressing charges if the assailant is caught. 2.     Sharing the Video Footage: In addition to involving the authorities, we urge all residents who have cameras that point in the direction of that mailbox to review your footage in the event that you have captured something that may be more useful to the investigation. If you do, please contact the HOA immediately by sending an email to MapleRidgeEstatesHOA@gmail.com. We will keep your information and involvement private if you wish. 3.     Neighborhood Watch Program: We believe that an active and vigilant community is essential in maintaining a secure environment. As such, we encourage you to utilize your Neighborhood Block Captains (Kathy Higa for MRE and Kristine Beaver for VP) if you see anything suspicious or have any questions. 4.     Strengthening Mailbox Structures: We recognize that some of the mailboxes in our neighborhood might not be as resilient as we would like them to be. As a preventive measure, we are evaluating the durability of our current mailbox structures and looking into reinforced materials or designs that can withstand potential vandalism attempts. If necessary, we will work with local authorities and postal services to ensure compliance with relevant regulations. 5.     Reporting Incidents Promptly: In case you witness any act of mailbox vandalism or have experienced it personally, please do not hesitate to report it to the local authorities and share the information with your neighbors and the HOA. Reporting promptly increases the chances of apprehending the culprits and preventing future incidents. Remember, this is our community, and we all play a crucial role in protecting it. Let's stand together, united against mailbox vandalism, and create a safe and secure neighborhood that we can all be proud to call home. If you have any additional ideas or suggestions on how we can tackle this issue, please share them in the comments below or submit a contact form from the website. Together, we can make a difference! Thank you for your cooperation and commitment to our community's safety. Best regards, Maple Ridge Estates HOA  

Hey everyone, I hope this post finds you all well. We've had a lot of you reach out to see what is going on with the car that's been parked at the lower entrance (156th) since the beginning of July. Many of you have told us that you believe this person has been living in their car and has parked it here in our community. Instead of taking drastic measures like towing the car, we've chosen a different path - one of kindness and patience. We all know that life can throw unexpected challenges our way. Sometimes circumstances force people into situations that we may not fully understand or relate to. It takes a compassionate perspective to acknowledge that not everyone has a roof over their heads and to respond with empathy rather than judgment. Here are the actions taken thus far: July 3rd: HOA spoke to vehicle owner to have the car moved in the next day or two July 5th: Renton Police Department, Traffic Division contacted. They issued a notice to the vehicle owner to move the vehicle as it has been parked there for more than 72 hours on the same day. July 5th: City of Renton Homelessness Coordinator was contacted and will be working in tandem with Renton PD to ensure the right thing is done to get this person moved out of our community and/or get the help they need. We ask that you be patient as we work with Renton PD to resolve this. If you feel rustrated or disagree with our actions, let's have a conversatoin about it. Send us a contact form and we will reach out to you to discuss this further. Together, we can create a stronger and more inclusive community where everyone feels valued and supported. Let's continue to show kindness, compassion, and understanding, not only to our neighbors but to everyone we encounter on our journey through life. After all, it's the connections we make and the impact we have on each other that truly make a community thrive. Thank you for taking the time to read this post. Your support and willingness to make a difference is very much appreciated.

This morning, one of our neighbors caught some pretty suspicious people lurking around our development. They had inadvertently left their garage door open over night. Unfortunately I am unable to upload the original video but their video shows a black Mazda parked across from the house from about 2:40 - 4:45AM. A young girl with brunette hair was walking around the neighborhood and there was a male in the passenger seat that might have been as well (really hard to tell from the camera angle). Their dog woke them up barking at these two before the girl tried to come right up to the opened garage. The homeowner was able to walk out and scare her off before she was able to do anything further. On Sunday night, another neighbor saw a blue (2006-2010) Lexus IS 350 with one or both bumpers missing parked next to the park with a male and female. The resident drove past them and proceeded to turn around and asked if they needed help. They indicated their car had overheated but proceeded to start the engine and turn around at the first available left turn and left the neighborhood. If you see an open garage door past dinnertime, I would recommend reaching out to your neighbor to see if it is intentional. Make sure your car doors are locked and nothing valuable to left on your porch. Lastly, not every encounter needs to be confrontational when we see cars/people we find suspicious in our neighborhood, sometimes people really do just need help because they are turned around or are looking for an address, delivering food, etc.... and sometimes, they just need to know that someone is paying attention and sees them. Sometimes, that's all it takes to deter possible criminal activity.

Please submit comments to this post to tell us about ideas, concerns, or any thoughts you might have that might improve our communities.

Lost cats, dogs, and/or any other pet, tools, bikes, or anything you deem important that you think the neighborhood might help in the recovery. This thread will be moderated.

This is meant to be the thread where we can just chatter about working on the 'hood'. Saw something unusual? Tell everyone by posting it here. Those who 'Follow' this post will get instantly notified by all the activity. So, keep it civil, keep it short, make it meaningful, and be respectful. No religion. No politics. No gossip. Please.

It is without question, one of the cheapest and most effective steps a homeowner can take is the installation of a home security systems with cameras that now stream live feeds to your phone anywhere in the world. This forum topic is all about the actual cameras people in the MRE and Viewpoint communities have installed, are considering, or ordered but not yet installed. Hopefully, we can share herein the brands, perhaps links to the site where you purchased cameras, and any other information you can that helps us all better understand the reasoning of your purchase.