July 2001 Newsletter

PHA  HOMEOWNER

Pinery Community Picnic
Saturday Aug. 11th , 2001

Come one, come all!  August 11th, activities start at 10 a.m. Mark your calendar for The Pinery Picnic. Pinery HOA Members, non-members, surrounding communities of the Timbers, High Prairie Farms, and Pinery Pointe are all invited! This year look for a change... something a little wild... wild cats and wild fires!

With no coordinator stepping forward to organize the Pedal and Picnic, the PHA board of directors made a hard decision to scale back this annual event and focus on a picnic. Thus, the Pedal portion of the Pinery Pedal and Picnic has been cancelled this year. Come and enjoy some wild fun, great food, and music!

Wild Cats...two tiger cubs, a leopard, and lion will be the main attraction starting at 11 a.m. Gate Keepers Wildlife Show will teach us about the beauty and mystery of the big cats! Have your photo taken with these magnificent creatures.

Pony Rides; not wild but a great treat and fun for the kids. Face painting... just go wild! A Jump-o-leen to bounce and burn off the wild energy. And we’re working on more, not available at press time. Activities will start at 10 a.m. and last through the event with the exception of pony rides which will end at noon.

Wild fire mitigation and defensible space in The Pinery, presented by the Parker Fire District. Check out the maps of our community that identify problem areas and how to ensure that our homes are defendable in the event of wildfire.

A great meal will be prepared and served by Sweet Lorraines; chicken, hot dogs, bratwurst, salad and cookies. For PHA members, adult meals are $5, kids under 12 are $2. Non-members and guests, adult meals are $7.50 and children under 12 are $4.50. As in past years, we can’t guarantee lunches at the picnic unless we have your meal reservation. Be sure to fill out the enclosed form and return it to the PHA office by August 1^st with your payment so that we can plan for you!

Volunteers are still needed to help on the day of the event. Please check the volunteer box on your reservation form, or call the PHA office at 303-841-8572, to add your name to the volunteer list!!

Last but not least, music will fill the air to complete the picnic in the park. So bring your lawn chairs, blankets, umbrellas... whatever you need for a great time at the park!

Come and join your family, friends, neighbors, and participate. We look forward to seeing you there!!

If you would like to join the PHA, call the PHA at (303) 841-8572 or visit the PHA office located on the lower level of the fire station.

National Trails Day Celebrated in The Pinery

With a little wind and a lot of sun shining on the backdrop of Bingham Lake, residents of the Pinery neighborhoods worked and celebrated National Trails Day on Saturday, June 2, 2001. The purpose of this gathering was to lend sweat equity for a plan to build a trail around Bingham Lake and to help enhance the new trailhead. Activities included planting trees, shrubs and flowers. Douglas County Parks and Trails division employees, lead by director Ron Benson, coordinated the day’s activities with great skill and patience. This day was to turn out to be one of the best National Trails Day events that the Douglas County Parks Department has ever participated in. Actually, this day of work turned into a day of celebration that didn’t end until almost 6 p.m.

Over 80 residents showed up and signed in for a day of voluntary work. Coffee and rolls were served and then the volunteers were assigned to teams for particular tasks. Douglas County Parks and Trails managers and supervisors were team leaders, as was Charlie Krogh of the Pinery Water District. Although hand tools were the major tools of the day, Douglas County brought all kinds of rolling stock and equipment to assist in the effort. Work started at approximately 8:45 a.m. and, with only a short lunch break, ended at 3 p.m. When work stopped, the teams had leveled the entire 6,000-foot path, planted all of the trees, shrubs, and flowers, and installed all the fencing for the day. A big job well done!

After a brief cleanup period, guests invited to share the celebration of the workday began to arrive. At 3:30 p.m., Ron Benson emceed the program and introduced many of the guests and dignitaries in the assembled group. Several guests pleased the assembled volunteers with words of thanks and appreciation for the hard work of the day. All speakers remarked about the community closeness and the spirit of working together exhibited by the entire project. Guests included State Senator John Evans, Douglas County Chairperson and Commissioner Melanie Worley, Douglas County Commissioner Mike Maxwell, Chairman Jay Sage of the Douglas County Open Space Advisory Committee, Doug DeBorg, Douglas County Administrator and Rod Yoakum and David Eyre of the Pinery Water and Waste Water District Board. Speaking at the ceremonies were Senator Evans, Commissioners Worley and Maxwell, Charlie Krogh of the Pinery Water District and Sonia Eyre, President of the Pinery Homeowners’ Association. The PHA and Douglas County Parks and Trails division awarded two plaques to Dave Kristick of the PHA board of directors for his volunteer efforts. A ribbon cutting ceremony followed guest remarks.

A Mexican Fajita Fiesta buffet dinner was then served and everyone was serenaded by the mariachi music of the Sol de Mi Tierra orchestra. All volunteers received a Colorado Lottery t-shirt and commemorative cap in appreciation of their efforts during the day. Also in attendance and working were two Cadets from the Douglas County Sheriff’s office and several personnel from the Parker Fire District.

The Pinery Homeowners’ Association extends our sincere appreciation to all parties who helped to make this one of the finest National Trails Days ever. Thanks to you all!

Note: The pictures from the Trails Day that were in this Newsletter are in the Photo Gallery

Kids Fishing Derby to be held July 14

The Annual Kids Fishing Derby is scheduled for Saturday, July 14, 2001, 2 - 5 p.m. at Bingham Lake. Registration will begin at 1:45 p.m. at the new and improved park area on the west end of the lake. The first 100 children to register will be presented a fishing pole from the Division of Wildlife Youth Fishing Program, funded through Great Outdoors Colorado. The Division of Wildlife has been involved in the promotion of fishing for years and uses opportunities like the Kids Fishing Derby to teach children about fishing.

Trophies will be awarded for the longest fish caught in each species. Your child may catch a bass, perch, crappie, wiper, carp or one of the other species of fish in the lake. Trophies will be awarded just after 5 p.m.

Plan now to join us for a fun afternoon. A Pinery fishing permit (button) is not required for this event. Permits will be available for sale, to residents of the Pinery Water and Wastewater District, should you want to come back again and try to catch the big one that got away.

Trash and Waste, Pinery

Definitions
As we residents of The Pinery walk and drive about our community, do the two words in the title of this article resonate? It was thought that the definitions to these words and conditions along our roadways and in our greenbelts might make us think about how we are allowing our surroundings to be diminished. Adults and younger people are trashing our community at an alarming rate. Take a few moments to see if these definitions apply to areas in our community.

Trash verb 1 vandalize, destroy 2 attack, assault 3 spoil, ruin 4 throw away
Trash noun 1 something worth little or nothing 2 junk, rubbish 3 empty talk or nonsense 4 something in crumbled or broken condition 5 a worthless object
Waste verb 1 to damage or destroy gradually or progressively 2 to wear away or diminish gradually 3 to use carelessly
Waste noun 1 refuse from human or animal habitation 2 garbage or rubbish

All of the above can be found along our streets or in our greenbelts and lawns. Every resident has the right to correct these conditions and we hope this small reminder will help everyone pitch in in any way they can to clean up our community. Thanks

Parks Update

Have you noticed a change in our two Pinery pocket parks? New play structures were installed in late April to replace the failing and non-compliant 20-year-old equipment. The sand no longer met safety standards and needed to be replaced with 12 inches of pea gravel. A committee of Pinery volunteers – Susi Morrison, Dawn Wade and Shelly Mango – met, establishing both short and long-term plans and goals for North Park and Lakeshore Park.

The short term goals have been realized! Old equipment and sand have been removed, proper safety zones re-established, and new play structures and gravel are in place. The new structure has been relocated at North Park (Sunridge Hollow and Ponderosa) off the hill to make it more accessible and stroller friendly. A rail fence will be installed along the edge of the park along Sunridge Hollow Drive.

Long range plans include installation of a picnic shelter at each park... look for that to occur sometime in the next calendar year. These are our parks!! The new equipment, watering, mowing and maintenance are all funded by income generated by PHA through dues (paid directly or through the Pinery Trash Program) and RV storage lot space rental. So please, enjoy and remember that these parks belong to you, residents of the Pinery!

Nesting Boxes Go In at the Bird Sanctuary

Many thanks to Dennis Volz for making two beautiful bluebird nesting boxes for us, and to Brett Barber for mounting and installing them at our site!  Bluebirds sometimes have two broods in one season.  The first ones this year are probably long gone, but we may attract some for a second brood.  Thanks again, guys!

We had a great workday in April just before that incredible storm!  Only a few of our bushes expired over the winter, and wildflowers are finally making their presence known!  Our native grasses look wonderful!!  We may have only one or two more workdays this year, since I seem to be pretty booked up.  If you’re on the phone tree, please try to commit to doing two to fours hours maintenance this summer, during a time that fits your schedule.  If you’re unsure of what needs to be done, just call me!  If you would like to be in charge of a workday, let me know (it’s easy —really!)  Thanks so much to all our faithful volunteers! Deb Dieter

NOTES FROM THE PHA

Volunteers’ Corner

PHA Board Members Needed!

Are you interested in seeing our community continue to grow? Are you as concerned about the future of our community as we are? Do you have some opinions as to the direction the PHA Board is taking in your area? Have you seen items in your community that just makes your blood boil?

If you answered yes to any of those questions, the Pinery needs you to consider running for the PHA Board. Three key members of the current board have chosen to not seek reelection in January. These members: Sonia Eyre; David Kristick and Scott Campbell have served the community well and will create a significant void in the experience and enthusiasm level on the Board. We ask you to look at yourself as a candidate and see if you want to get involved.

The PHA board meetings, listed in the calendar section of this newsletter, identify the dates of our meetings. These meetings are open to all members and we encourage you to attend, especially if you have a desire to seek election. If you have any questions, please contact the PHA office or any of the current board members. Your community needs someone like you leading us into the future.

Lawn Mower Brigade Mobilization Call

The Pinery Lawn Mower Brigade has been officially recalled to duty to mow and trim the North Pinery Parkway Median, from Northeast Elementary School to Ponderosa Way. Every year, trusted and highly trained residents volunteer their time and mowers to improve the appearance of our area. By mowing the median, we can also pick up trash and waste deposited by others, who will go nameless.

Each year, new recruits are needed to share the tasks associated with this endeavor. All local residents within walking distance of the median are asked to help by mowing a portion near your home. Remember, it is our community and we need to show some pride. This is a good way of showing it… charge!

Community Center Needed?

Several members of the community have expressed an interest in developing a Community Center and/or Recreation Center for Pinery residents. Are you also one of them?

First, some history – The Pinery was developed during a period when covenants and communities like ours were just starting. Our voluntary membership is common in communities of our age, but are not permitted with today’s development laws. Therefore, neighboring communities with these common use facilities and mandatory dues are better suited to get them during development and afford to maintain them annually. To attempt something of this magnitude will take a considerable commitment of both time and money from our community to make it happen.

The PHA Board would like to hear from you about two issues:

Are you either interested in or opposed to such a project.

If you are interested, do you have the expertise to get a preliminary plan complete? We will need basic conceptual plans with rough estimates included that can be presented to the community. Until this project is approved by the membership, we are seeking a volunteer for this position.

If we hear from you in the positive and we get a volunteer to get this project started, we will look into it for you. If we hear from you in the negative, we will focus our energies in other directions. Thank you all for your continued interest in our community.

Show your community pride! We have top quality,

Pinery logo baseball caps ($10), fanny packs ($14), and workshirts (short ($26) and long ($30) sleeved) available for sale. Items can be seen and purchased at the PHA Office in the lower level of the Pinery Fire Station (8-3 weekdays).

COVENANT CORNER
The Pinery Architectural Control Committee

Covenants limit signage within the Pinery to “one professional sign of not more than one square foot, one sign of not more than five square feet advertising the property for sale or rent or signs used by a builder to advertise the property during the construction or sales period.” Directional signs away from properties are becoming a problem in the Pinery. It has been policy to allow directional signs up for a limited sign (e.g. for a garage sale or realtor open house), which are removed immediately after the event. Longer-term directional signs or other signs violating Covenants are not allowed.

Summer is the busy time of the year for the Architectural Control Committee. Please help our volunteer board members do their job properly by submitting plans for changes to exterior of residences in a timely manner. Meetings are held the first Tuesday of each month unless rescheduled due to holidays. The agenda is prepared and materials distributed to board members on the Friday before the meeting. Please get your plans to our office no later than noon on the Friday before a meeting held on the following Tuesday (for example, for the August 7^th meeting, have your plans to us by noon on Friday, August 3^rd). Submittals for plans received by Friday noon will appear on the printed agenda for the ACC meeting and will have priority in handling at the meeting.

A Request from the Post Office

The Parker Post Office has asked that we pass along the following request to eliminate a safety hazard in the Pinery that affects the delivery of our mail.

It has been noted that on Thursdays, quite a few residents put their garbage and recycling in front of mailboxes. The Parker Postmaster has asked us to request that garbage not be placed near the mail box as the carriers then have to dismount to deliver the mail. Each time a carrier must exit their vehicle, the potential for tripping or falling increases. The Post Office must try to keep all necessary dismounts to a minimum.

We have also asked BFI personnel not to replace garbage containers in front of mail boxes for the same reasons. Your consideration and assistance regarding this matter will be appreciated.

At press time, there were 1,390 Pinery area households participating in the Pinery Trash Program. We want to thank participants of the program for their support of the Pinery Homeowners’ Association in this way. With our transition to service from BFI, following are some tips to remember.

Trash should be streetside no later than 7 a.m. on collection day. Please bag your trash and keep it in a closed container. This will help to keep trash from scattering due to wind or animals. Also, trash containers should not weigh more than 50 pounds. Please empty liquids from containers before disposing of containers. Compression of garbage by the collection trucks will cause liquid to run onto the roads.

Branches and brush should be cut into 4-foot lengths and tied into 18-inch diameter bundles.

If your trash exceeds ten 30-gallon cans or bags or more than six bundles or bags of yard waste, please call BFI directly (303-287-8043) for special pick up arrangements. Containers or bundles over this amount are charged directly by BFI at $1 per container.

To participate in recycling in the Pinery Trash Program, you must have at least one BFI (blue) recycling bin. Other bins are allowed but the BFI bin should be placed nearest the road so that the driver will see it. At least two containers are needed; newspaper goes into one and all other accepted material in the other. Please stack your containers so that newspaper does not become windblown. Recycling schedules with details on the program are available in the PHA office.

To All Residents of the Area: Please keep in mind as you put out your trash that we live in an area rich with wildlife. In June, a bear was spotted periodically in the area. Trash should not be put out the night before pickup to ensure that wildlife is not attracted and that trash remains contained. See more information in this newsletter.

Pinery History—Article No. 3...
Developers Appear

by Ruth L. Miller

In the pineries, lumber for cabins, buildings, railroad ties, and fuel was cut; the clearing of land for farms and ranches further depleted resources. Fires, floods, and insects also took their toll on the forests. In spite of this ravaging of the trees, General William Larimer, an early Denver developer, blithely declared during an 1858 Christmas celebration at Cherry Creek, “Our pineries are convenient, and will last for generations to come”. During the next 100 years, trees were growing back, reseeded by nature, but not in the density that had given the land its forests. Of the original trees, only some that were saplings in the 1800s survived.

Despite a 100-year flood in 1864 in the Cherry Creek valley, and a second one in 1965; despite a blizzard in 1858 that piled snow into 20-foot drifts, and the snow of 1913 that overwhelmed everyone with 50-foot drifts, the area around Parker, north of the town and south to Democrat Road, attracted people. The old Cherokee Trail still had traffic through the 1800s; the stage coach heading into Parker and the 20-Mile House stage stop used it. Freight wagons also caused congestion. The new road, built parallel and to the east of the Cherokee Trail, road number 13, had traffic jams similar to today's. Residents of that time complained about their traffic, with the slow wagons, livestock being driven to Denver, carriages, and riders on horseback delaying their exiting onto the road. (History does tend to repeat itself!) Farmers and ranchers along road 13 (later Parker Road) had to travel the road to Parker for supplies, but their trips would, of necessity, be infrequent because of chores on their properties that took up their time. The knowledge they acquired through the years about dry farming helped their crops flourish. Tending to them with livestock to care for as well, they had more than enough to do around their acreage.

As more people settled in and outside of Parker, it was inevitable that developers would come upon the scene, offering good prices per acre for the land. The property owners couldn't resist selling. During the latter half of the 20th century, properties changed hands, and today’s Pinery slowly came into existence.

May General Meeting Highlights

The May general meeting was an information session for the community. Larry Corcoran, Traffic Engineer Manager for Douglas County spoke extensively on road improvements currently underway and on those planned for the near future as development proceeds.

Pinery HOA activities were reviewed by board members and coordinators as follows.

Vice-President Fred Slick covered several items including thanking Jim Bagley for his hard work coordinating and producing the first Annual Pinery art show in March; thanking Ben and Lori Zimmerman for their significant donation toward trees to be planted at Bingham Lake; thanking Scott Campbell for his work in negotiating the new contract with BFI to service the Pinery Trash Program; and, he gave an update on the annual Large Item Drop-off being held June 16th.

Director Dave Kristick covered several items including an overview of the upcoming Trails Day event at Bingham Lake; a review of the status of the cell tower proposal (no activity underway and no application received); status of an additional RV storage lot to be hopefully completed this year; and a review of the Timbers Filing 27 plat.

Carolyn Williamson was introduced by Fred as our hard working entrance sign updater. Carolyn gave an update on plans for the annual Pinery Garage Sale as coordinator for that event as well.

President Sonia Eyre provided a parks update, including recent replacement of playground equipment at Lakeshore Park and North Park. She also reviewed plans for the Pinery Pedal and Picnic and indicated that since a volunteer coordinator had not come forward, the event would need to be scaled back from previous years.

Summer is upon us and many of you are enjoying the newly constructed trail around Bingham Lake. The workday in June was a success and I want to thank all who participated. While this work opens the area surrounding the lake to everyone, activities in Bingham Lake are still restricted to District members holding valid Bingham Lake permits. Unfortunately, this valuable resource is continuing to be abused and trashed by outside users. On a recent check of people fishing at the lake, only 4 of 23 people had valid Lake permits, in spite of the fact that the requirement is well posted. It is for this issue that I hope to enlist your assistance. Lake permits are available at the PHA offices, below the fire station. I would ask that all District residents who plan on fishing or making use of the lake for boating please obtain the proper permit. We do not want to interrupt your activities, so please have the permit on hand and visible when you are down by the Lake.

For those using the lake for fishing or boating who are not residents of the District and/or do not have a valid Lake permit, please ask them to leave and/or to pick one up at the PHA Office. This is critical to minimize liability issues. Additionally, anyone swimming in the lake is in violation of posted rules and use restrictions. The Douglas County Parks and Sheriff’s Departments enforce these rules and regulations for the PHA and Water District and will deal with people who refuse to follow proper use restrictions. We do not want to call upon these agencies unless we have to, but we will do so if people refuse to leave the area or are found in violation of area use rules and restrictions. Your assistance in enforcing these simple rules and restrictions will allow the Bingham Lake area to be used safely for many years to come.

As always, you are cordially invited to attend any of our monthly meetings. These are held at the District Offices on the second Tuesday of every month, beginning at 7 o’clock in the evenings. If this is not possible, please stop by the District Office during the week, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m., or give us a call at (303) 841-2797. Someone is always available to meet with you and discuss your concerns.

David C. Eyre, Civil Engineer, P.E.
Director

Living With Wildlife (Especially Bears)

Black bears (which can be almost any color) occasionally visit this area as evidenced by several sightings in the Pinery in June of a light colored bear. Please don’t put yourself in danger or (most probably) the life of the bear by attracting it to our area. Once a bear has found an easily accessible, consistent food source, it may overcome its wariness of people and visit regularly, increasing the chance of a human/bear encounter. Your actions may prevent the unnecessary death of a bear! Please take the following steps:

· Keep garbage out of reach and smell of bears. Do not put trash out before collection day, even one night! Periodically clean garbage cans to keep down smells (hot water and bleach).

· Do not store pet food outside overnight. Clean grease from your BBQ grill and store it inside. Hang bird feeders on a high wire between trees; bring feeders in at night. Don’t put food items (fruit, etc.) in mulch or compost piles.

Most bears sighted in residential areas do not cause damage. If a bear doesn’t find abundant food, it will move on. Detailed brochures from the Colorado Division of Wildlife are available in the Pinery Homeowners’ Association office; drop by or call 303-841-8572.

Garage Security

Reports have come to us about items being stolen out of open garages in the Pinery. Please keep this in mind and, for the security of your property, keep your garage door closed when you are not nearby.

PHA Membership

If you are not in the Pinery Trash Program, please consider contributing to the health and vitality of the community by supporting the Pinery Homeowners’ Association. The PHA maintains Pinery neighborhood parks, greenbelts, and north entry, and promotes community spirit through the Pinery Pedal & Picnic, the Community Garage Sale, the Kids Fishing Derby, Community Cleanups, etc., and by putting you in touch with developments that may impact you as residents. More than 1,340 have already provided support through participation in the Pinery/BFI Trash Program.

Thanks for your consideration!