THE JEWELRY WAS CLEANED OUT.

Lorna Stanard couldn’t believe it. She stood looking at the destruction and chaos caused by a burglar who had kicked in the front door in the middle of the day. Along with televisions and a handgun, the burglar made off with several thousand dollars in jewelry.

“Don’t leave jewelry out where it’s easy to find,” she warns residents.

And don’t assume you’re safe during the daytime.

Stanard says she came home in the middle of the day, and saw that the door was open. As she peered into her home, she immediately felt something was wrong. Some drawers were turned upside down, and a closet had been ransacked. She

The Victim: Lorna Stanard

The Crime: Burglary

Date: Wednesday, October 19

Time: Between 10:15 a.m. and 2:25 p.m.

Location: 12600 block of Sunlight quickly fled the house in case the thief was still inside, and called police.

“They were very methodical,” she says. “They even walked across the room to get the remote controls to the TVs they stole. It was horrible. Thank God I didn’t get home when they were still here.”

Along with the obvious feelings of in- vasion, crimes like this are nuisance for homeowners. Stanard had to take a day off work to have the door replaced and sort things out with her insurance company.

“None of it’s easy,” she adds.

Dallas Police Lt. Richard Dwyer of the North Central Patrol Division says the majority of crimes take place during daylight hours between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.

“The reason is most people are away at work and the kids are in school, so few people are in their neighborhood during this time. Suspects will often check the home by knocking on the door or looking through the windows first to see if anyone is at home,” he says. “Depending on how the homes are laid out, they may park their getaway car in the alley or back in the driveway. Kicking in a door or breaking a window is the most common way a suspect will force their way into the home.”

Dwyer says residents should write down the license plates of any suspicious vehicles in neighborhoods plus anything else that stands out about the car. Things such as missing taillights, dents and cracked windshields are very helpful to officers when searching for suspect vehicles.

He also offers one more tip — keep a folder with serial numbers of electronic items and photos of any expensive jewelry.

The Dallas Area Parkinsonism Society meets at 12:30 p.m. Dec. 12 at University Park United Methodist Church, 4024 Caruth, for its annual holiday luncheon. Doc Gibbs performs a musical program. Reservations are required; call 972.620.7600.

Foster Kids Charity needs donations to prepare packages for needy foster children in Dallas County. The nonprofit urgently needs clothing for boys and girls ages 6-10, as well as toothbrushes, toothpaste, socks and underwear. Only new items are accepted. Drop of donations at 12830 Hillcrest, Suite 111. For more information, visit fosterkidscharity.org.

Development

Construction has begun on the 2.2-mile section of the Northaven Trail that extends from Valleydale near the Jewish Community Center to Preston Road. The trail eventually will continue west to Denton Drive. For more information, visit northaventrail.org.

Education

Kramer Elementary hosts a technology recycling fundraiser to dispose of electronics properly while raising money for school programs. Bring items such as old computers, inkjet cartridges, mp3 players, cell phones and GPS devices during two collections dates Dec. 2 and April 20 at the school, 7131 Midbury. For details, call 972.794.8300 or visit kramerelementary.org.

Le’Shai Maston, head football coach at Providence Christian School, received the Baylor Legends Award from his alma mater, Baylor University. The Baylor Lettermen’s Association presented the award, which honors an outstanding former athlete. Maston played football for the Baylor Bears and was a twotime all conference linebacker and four-year letterman, helping the team get to two bowl games — the Copper Bowl in 1991 and the Sun Bowl in 1992.

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Year end planning. Clean out your garage for donations. Advice: It’s a good idea to take pictures for your tax records.