July 2026 Newsletter
Forest City Housing Authority - July Community Connections Newsletter
Summertime Safety
July brings warmer weather, outdoor activities, family gatherings, and summer fun. While we want everyone to enjoy the season, we also want to remind residents to stay safe and help keep our community safe for others.
Please be careful during hot weather. Drink plenty of water, take breaks from the heat, and try to stay indoors during the hottest part of the day when possible. Children, seniors, and pets can be affected by heat quickly, so please check on family members, neighbors, and loved ones during extremely hot days.
As a reminder, children should be supervised while playing outside. Please make sure children are not playing in parking lots, roadways, or around parked vehicles. Drivers may not always see children quickly, and we want to prevent accidents before they happen. Bikes, scooters, balls, and toys should be kept out of the roads and walkways when not in use.
Residents are also reminded to keep porches, sidewalks, steps, and walkways clear. Items left in these areas can become tripping hazards and may block a safe exit in case of an emergency. Keeping these areas clear also helps maintenance, emergency responders, and neighbors move safely through the property.
With July 4th celebrations, please use extra caution. Be respectful of neighbors, especially seniors, children, veterans, and pets who may be frightened by loud noises.
Summer is a great time to enjoy the outdoors, but safety should always come first, Thank you for being a part of our community and helping to keep our community safe, clean, and enjoyable for everyone.
Hope everyone has a wonderful July!
Forest City Housing Authority Staff
A Little History about Independence Day, Saturday, July 4
A Little History: The Declaration of Independence
Adopted on July 4, 1776, this important document announced the American Colonies' decision to separate from Great Britain and become an independent nation. It explained the colonists' belief that all people have certain rights, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The 4th of July is celebrated as Independence Day. It reminds us of the courage, freedom, and hope that helped shape our country.
Cooking Corner: Quick and Easy String Cheese Manicotti
*** Manicotti noodles and can diced tomatoes are available in the office if you would like to try this recipe. Call 828.245.1390 ext. 5 and ask for Carrie**
Variations:
- Double the string cheese: One stick of string cheese provides a nice amount of cheese per manicotti shell, but if you want to really make this a cheesy meal, you can always add another stick or half stick (whatever fits inside the shells you're using).
- Use ground turkey instead of beef: Ground turkey has slightly less saturated fat than lean ground beef. This makes it a good choice if you 're trying to reduce saturated fat, but it also means the meat can dry out more. When cooking the turkey, add a little olive oil to the pan to compensate.
Ingredients: This recipe uses tube-shaped manicotti shells
- Ground beef: Use lean ground beef; try 85/15, if you can find it. You don't want a mix that's got too much fat because the final sauce will be overly greasy, but you don 't want a very lean mix, either.
- Onion: If you prefer, chopped onion will add more flavor to the ground beef and sauce.
- Spaghetti sauce: Use your favorite brand of sauce for this recipe or you can use Homemade spaghetti sauce if you want, but a jar from the grocery store makes this recipe so much faster to put together.
- String cheese: Add a stick or two of string cheese, if you like pasta cheesy, and you're done filling the shells.
- Shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese: Sprinkling more cheese over the last layer of sauce gives the final dish a nice bubbly golden top.
Directions:
- Cook the manicotti according to the package directions.
- In a large frying pan, cook the beef and onion together over medium heat until the beef is no longer pink. Drain away any grease.
- Add the spaghetti sauce to the beef and onion. Grease a 13x9-inch baking dish and add half the meat sauce mixture to the dish.
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Drain the manicotti and place a stick of string cheese inside each shell. Arrange the shells over the layer of meat sauce in the baking dish. then top the shells with the rest of the sauce.
- Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. until heated through.
- Remove the cover and sprinkle the shredded mozzarella over the sauce. Bake until the cheese has melted, an additional 5 to 10 minutes.
- Let cool and enjoy!
Community Kindness: Take Pride in Where You Live
A clean and welcoming community starts with each of us. When residents take pride in their homes and the areas around their apartments, it helps make the entire property look better, feel safer, and be more enjoyable for everyone.
Please help keep our community clean by picking up trash, keeping porches and walkways neat, and making sure personal items such as toys, clothes, bicycles, and outdoor furniture are stored properly. Common areas, sidewalks, parking lots, and grassy areas should remain free of trash and clutter so they are safe and accessible for residents. visitors, maintenance staff, and emergency personnel.
Taking pride in where you live also means being respectful of your neighbors. Please be mindful of noise, children playing outside, parking areas, and shared spaces. Small actions, such as throwing trash away properly, keeping outside areas picked up, and repolling maintenance concerns early, can make a big difference.
We want Forest City Housing Authority communities to look nice, inviting, and well cared for. Let's all work together to keep our homes and neighborhoods clean, safe, and something we can be proud of.
Until Next Time,
Carrie Short
ROSS Coordinator
FCHA
