By Mickey Zeichick

Our next regular San Carlos Area Council (SCAC) meeting will be Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2018 at 6 p.m. in our branch library, 7265 Jackson Drive.

I say our “regular” meeting because we are having an open house on Dec. 13 at our branch library and we have a special guest attending. Please RSVP at [email protected] prior to Dec. 10.

Real estate picture

At our November regular meeting, we had the pleasure of hearing about the real estate market in San Carlos, in San Diego and in general from Gary and Amy Blume, Realtors.

The earliest homes were built in San Carlos were in 1955. The developer of our area was Carlos Tavares and his wife Claire.

The characteristics of a 1955 San Carlos home were two to three bedrooms with one bath, 900 to 1,300 square feet with a one-car garage. The average price was $14,000. (Allied Gardens started in 1954 and the average cost was $12,750. That would have meant a $395 down payment with the GI Bill).

Today, the average price of a San Carlos three-bedroom, two-bathroom, approximately 1,690-square-foot home, with a two-car garage is $625,000. But, you also must consider the average wage in 1955 was $0.75 an hour!

Dog waste is harmful

Nobody likes the feeling of stepping in poo. And, when our kids play we don’t want them slipping in poo. Nor do we want a senior citizen or anyone slipping in poo. Many folks throughout the day enjoy walking their pooches — usually on a leash — in our parks and other public places. However, there are also way too many folks who do not obey the leash law. And there is a real problem in our parks, playgrounds, and other public (and sometimes not public), areas — dog poo.

Dog waste is a major pollutant and contaminant of the water supply. It is a serious health issue. In fact, it is estimated that one-third of all water contamination is a result of dog waste runoff entering streams and leaching into underground well water. The average dog can produce 274 pounds of waste each year. Disease from dog waste can spread to other dogs, children and adults.

The County Animal Control Department is the one to call if you see someone who is not picking up after their “pooch family member.” If you see it happening, say something – the more we bring it to the attention of Animal Control, the more they have to pay attention.

Holiday shopping

When shopping, be sure to park your car in a well-lit area if shopping at night, try not to walk to your car alone, put your shopping bags out of sight in the trunk or cover them if they are in the backseat. Don’t make them obvious to people walking by. Do your counting of your money, checking your list, or whatever paper work you need to do while you are still in the store and not in your car — you become a sitting target.

— Mickey Zeichick is president of the San Carlos Area Council. To become a member, send your $7 check for membership to: SCAC P.O. Box 19246, San Diego, CA 92159-0246. If you wish to be added to the “interested persons” list, contact Zeichick at [email protected].