September 2002 Newsletter

2002 Pinery Pedal & Picnic A Galloping Success

  Early Saturday morning, August 17th, as the sun sparkled on Bingham Lake, adjacent Lakeshore Park awakened for the Bingham Lake Bash, a.k.a, The Pinery Pedal and Picnic!  Community volunteers were popping up tents, setting up tables, posting signs - all in preparation for the days’ activities.

  Pinery residents, Catie and Hans Wigand of  Treads Bicycle Outfitters, stood by with technical support;

 Starbucks Coffee, Parker Road and Hilltop provided its signature gourmet coffee courtesy of manager Laurie Windler. The caffeine jolt helped kick us all into high gear!

  Officer Dwight Berry,  Douglas County Sheriff’s Office along with Douglas County Explorers Post 10-4 members Robyn Smith and Cassie Shor directed traffic to ensure a safe ride for all. Douglas County Parks/Trails/Open Space Ranger John Derinzy rode the entire Cherry Creek Trail route tending to the well-being of all the cyclists.

Boy Scouts and other volunteers helped keep the ride moseying along by opening and closing gates, while riding along the trail in support of the Pinery Pedal 2002.

  As the bicyclists returned to the park, they were treated to many great activities for all. Several Pinery residents generously gave to make this years’ event one of the best!!

  Carolyn Williamson of Coldwell Bankers again sponsored the Carousel Ponies.

  The Tropical Coyotes, sponsored by All About Windows Stucco & Siding, returned to fill the park with dancing music. Sharon Anderson & Diane Ward of ReMax Achievers funded the Jump-o-leen so that many little (and some big) ones could enjoy a jumping good time!

  Miniature horses, kindly sponsored by Barb Buzako, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, rounded out the entertainment.

  Several booths provided information about our community: The Pinery Water and Wastewater District provided valuable water conservation pointers and congratulated our residents for voluntarily committing to tighten their taps.

  Deb Deiter, originator of the Pinery Bird Sanctuary, answered questions and outlined plans for her pet project.

  The Architectural Control Committee was on hand to assist homeowners with covenant approved colors, materials and roofing products for Pinery homes.

  And last but not least, members of the PHA board  gave information about our community, past to  present.

  Lunch, catered by Sweet Lorraine’s, was chowed down in record speed and satisfied even the biggest appetites.

  Time was set aside to celebrate the Pinery Homeowner’s Association 25th Anniversary. Fred Slick, HOA President, recognized all board members and presidents over the past 25 years and unveiled a digitally restored aerial photo of the Pinery taken in 1975. Come to the PHA office to see for yourself how far this community has come in the intervening years!

  And if all of that is not enough, many enjoyed horse-drawn All Season Carriages rides around Bingham Lake trail, courtesy of the PHA.  The Pinery County Club provided a golf cart for the day and kept all the drinks iced throughout the day. To cap things off, Jim Brownlee with Island Oasis donated wonderful slushy drinks to close out the day.

  This event would not have happened without the planning team, the sponsors, supporters, and the Pinery Board of Directors’ and Administrative staff’s support.

  So, before we ride off into the sunset, we extend a huge THANK YOU to each and everyone who gave of yourselves to make the Bingham Lake Bash a success!  Your tireless hours and your commitment to our community are greatly appreciated by all!

Volunteers’ Corner
Community Kudos!

   Many thanks to the following Volunteers* for donating their time and energy to the 2002 Pinery Pedal and Picnic!

* Please accept our sincere apologies if we inadvertently missed anyone!

Bird Sanctuary Has Quiet Summer

The drought has at least been good for the Bird Sanctuary!  Our xeric plants survived on minimal water, while pests were kept at bay.  This, coupled with only sporadic pulling of knapweed, led to a low-maintenance summer.  University of Colorado professor, Tim Seastedt helped by releasing two species of knapweed-eating bugs, and the healthy crop of these weeds on the site helped those bugs get established.  Our grass suffered from the lack of rain, but I’m confident it will return in wetter years.  Despite the dryness, more wildflowers appeared, and we babied them through the hot weather.
  Many thanks to Ron Henkel and the PHA for funding and arranging the work to keep our sprinklers flowing.  Ron has taken over the entrance landscaping from Dave Kristick, whose support was much appreciated over the last four years. 

  By the time you read this, I hope to have seen you at our anniversary party or the Pedal, and to have talked with you about the future of the Bird Sanctuary.  Feel free to call me, or come to any of our marquee-posted workdays if interested in our project!! Scouts and high school students can get community service hours at our site. Thanks to all for your help and interest!!
Deb Dieter, 303.840.4360

PHA Website Gives Inside Scoop

   Do you want to know what is going on in the Pinery? Then check out www.pinery.org. This website, designed by Pinery resident Randy Thompson, provides a plethora of information about our community.

   It provides information about saving water, high school community service opportunities in the Pinery, the bird sanctuary, and ACC issues such as recent hail damage, approved paint colors, and what steps to take in making changes to the exteriors of your homes.

   It also has information about the PHA, including the trash program, community calendar, and newsletters past and current.

   You can also find links to the Pinery Water District and T-REX.  By the way, pine beetles carry a blue fungus, which will kill your trees if you do not take steps to prevent it.

Need more information? Then check out www.pinery.org!

Pinery History—Article No. 9... Parker Road Traffic
by Ruth L. Miller

The January 30, 1979 Pinery Newsletter had an article about Parker Road, written by resident Frank Thompson. It was entitled, "Only the Brave Dare Drive Parker Road.”  Mr. Thompson stated, "The population growth ... has brought about an... increase in traffic. Throughout most of the daytime, this road is congested with a flow of traffic that far exceeds its ability to handle.

   Sound familiar? Remember, this quotation dates from 1979! At that time, the Highway Department was considering five methods of improving Highway 83. One of the choices was to do nothing except for normal maintenance. Three of the remaining four solutions were to widen the road to four lanes.

   Of these, one would follow the existing alignment with paved 8-foot shoulders and the addition of acceleration/deceleration lanes at some intersections. Another would also follow the alignment, but the lanes would be 12 feet wide with 10-foot shoulders and a concrete barrier within a paved median. The next option was the same, but with a 32-foot-wide depressed grass median. The final choice would also have 12-foot lanes and the requisite median, but its alignment would deviate from the existing road near Parker. Just west of Parker, a by-pass would start at Douglas County Rd. #4, run parallel to the existing Parker Road and Cherry Creek for 3 miles, then tie into an existing road further on.

   An environmental impact study was necessary even in 1979. Mr. Thompson said that at the normal rate of such things, "we may see a new road start under construction in about 4 more years." (He was an optimist!) He appealed to Pinery residents to contact legislators to see if anything could be done to hasten the process. The PHA made it their number one goal to "make a concerted effort and campaign to expedite the widening of Parker Road.”

Why are the Pinery Parkway Ponderosas Pining?
by Sid Wolf
Denver Tree Specialists, Inc.

The Ponderosa pine is a tree species native to this area, which, left in its natural state, will continue to thrive without care. This does not, however, mean that all Ponderosas growing in the Pinery are native trees. When a tree is moved from one locale to a place of our choosing, this individual tree is not native. It is growing in special circumstances that are manipulated by man, not nature. Nature may not care for this tree in this new site for any number of reasons and this tree may therefore require additional care.

  Once the root system is disturbed, water is added or removed, carbon dioxide and other gases are introduced to the air, the growing environment is anything but natural. Trees that are growing in this altered environment need some level of extra care if they are to survive.

  The stresses imposed on trees living in these man-made situations will cause the tree to decline in overall health. The tree slowly, over a period of years, weakens and becomes susceptible to insect and disease attack. Artificially supplying protection and nutrients will help lengthen the useable life of the tree.

  Although nature cares very little for the individual tree in the forest, you as the owner care a great deal for each tree. After all, the trees are one of the main reasons you live in this area.

  If you need assistance with keeping your trees healthy, consult with the Douglas County, C. S. U. Extension Service at 720-733-6930, or contact your commercial arborist.

NEWS FROM THE WATER BOARD
August/September 2002

   As some of you may already know, the Town of Parker is considering annexation of the land directly to the West of the Pinery’s Wastewater Treatment Plant, known as Hess Ranch. And you might ask: “of what concern would this annexation be to the Water District?” Well, for one thing, it would bring a large density development close to the plant’s operations. As it is, we have had complaints from Stroh Ranch about our operations during certain times of the year. We are concerned that building a large number of homes close to our treatment plant may result in having to modify our operations. This would lead to an increase in cost and possibly an increase in costs to you , the members of the District as well.

   The PHA has gone on record as opposing this development and so have we. We have also gone on record as discouraging U.S. Homes, which is also in this area, from placing residential development near our plant. What we need is your support, as members of the District, to go on record with the Town of Parker and Douglas County that not only is this not a prudent or proper use of this property, but an unwise one. Would you like to buy a home next to an operational Wastewater Treatment Plant? Even though this plant is operated as one of the best in the nation for its size and process, we think that you would not.
We encourage you to contact :

Douglas County Commissioners
100 Third Street
Castle Rock, CO 80104
Phone (303) 660-7401
Fax (303) 688-1293

or

Parker Town Council
20120 E. Mainstreet
Parker, CO 80138 USA
303-841-0353 phone
303-840-9792 fax

   Let them know how you feel about this potential impact on the District. Your support is greatly appreciated.

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

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

Community Corner

The PHA invites the Homeowners’ Associations of the greater Pinery area to submit information and insertions for publication in our newsletter. Your contributions are warmly welcomed!

PINERY Filing 20/PINERY POINTE

   Effective July 18th, Bob Dalrymple has resigned from the board. The board has appointed Denny Pressler to fill the remainder of Bob’s term, which will expire Jan 1, ’05. Denny will assume the role of Vice-President for the remainder of this year. Please join us in supporting Denny and in thanking Bob for his hard work and dedication.

   The board has purchased the ‘official’ mailbox color of paint. If you need to ‘touch up’ your mailbox, contact a board member to obtain the paint.

COVENANT CORNER
The Pinery Architectural Control Committee

Hail Storm Damage?

The July 10th hail storm hit many areas of the Pinery particularly hard. A significant number of homeowners need to replace their roofs and repaint their siding as a result.

Roofs: Residents needing to replace their roofs should contact the Architectural Control Committee to obtain approval for the product and color being used. If you have not already done so, please see our website at www.pinery.org to read the article entitled ‘Roofing Alert’. This article gives an explanation of the process and links to our current ‘Approved Materials’ list. In most cases, submittal can be handled by E-mail with a quick response. If you don’t have E-mail or Internet access, please call 303-841-5305 and we’ll be happy to fax or mail the information to you; be sure to leave your address and phone number if leaving a message.

Repairs without change to the roof do not require ACC involvement. Also, contrary to popular conception, cedar shakes are still approved for use in the Pinery. If you have a cedar shake roof and want to replace it with cedar shakes, this is considered maintenance and therefore ACC involvement is not required. However, please be aware that the Douglas County Building Department requires Class C Fire Retardant treatment for any cedar shake roof installation.

The Pinery has been inundated with roofers. For your protection, any roofer selected should be able to provide proof of insurance and licensing with the Douglas County Building Department. Also, Douglas County requires a Building Permit for any roof replacement.

Siding: If you have an approval letter from the Architectural Control Committee on file for the current colors of your residence and you plan to repaint using those colors, this would be considered maintenance and approval would not be required.

However, if you do not have an approval letter for the existing color, we strongly recommend that color samples be submitted to the ACC for review prior to repainting. Covenants within the Pinery specify that colors be “in earth tones indigenous to the area”. A sample board of approved colors is available for viewing in the ACC office. Colors which are not approved are white, black, red, blue, yellow, purple, orange and pink. Any re-application of an unapproved color represents a new violation.

The next meeting of the ACC will be Tuesday, September 10, 2002 beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the lower level of the fire station. Submittals received by Friday, September 6, at noon will appear on the printed agenda and receive priority handling during the meeting.

We can be reached at:
Telephone: 303-841-5305
Fax: 303-841-5444
E-mail: ThePineryACC@comcast.net
or
Mail: Pinery ACC
8170 Hillcrest Way
Parker, CO 80134.

The office is staffed by the ACC:
Wednesdays 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Thursdays and Fridays, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Water Conservation

   Please note that we are currently under a drought management Phase Two, i.e. voluntary watering restrictions of every third day or twice per week. We urge you to be  responsible custodians of this vital resource by complying with these guidelines.

 Thank you for your consideration!

New Pinery Storage Lot to Open At Last!

As we go to press, we anticipate being within a few weeks of opening the east storage lot. The lot is located adjacent to and directly to the east of the existing north and south lots beside the Pinery Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant, across Highway 83 from the main Pinery entrance.

The new lot boasts many amenities our lessees have asked for in the past:

1. A secured dump station for a minimal annual fee available only to lessees
2. A large number of spaces with electrical hookups
3. A number of smaller spaces for smaller vehicles

Our lease requires that each lessee must maintain current membership in the Pinery Homeowners’ Association, either through participation in the Trash Program or through direct payment. Direct members are billed membership with their November 1 billing for the year to follow. A $100 refundable deposit is collected for each space leased.

Costs are as follows:

If you are interested in leasing a space, please call our office at 303-841-8572.

Storage Lot Weeds: Because of significant weed growth this year, for the first time, the PHA contracted to have weeds inside both the north and south lot sprayed earlier this summer at significant expense.

Unfortunately, the cost for removal of the weeds is very labor intensive and therefore prohibitively expensive. We regret that the problem is therefore not totally resolved, and encourage lessees to remove weeds within their spaces in future so that they do not become a problem.

Please be aware that the Storage Lot is in a ‘Groundwater Protection Area’ - use of most herbicides is not permitted.

Two O’Clock and No Space Available

The 2002 version of the Large Item Drop Off was quite a success. Unlike last year when we ran out of space with three hours to go, this year we finished filling all twelve dumpsters, just as the clock struck two!

  Every year the volunteers do a great job and take an unofficial poll as to the most popular item that is being discarded. Last year was the year of the mattress and this year was the year of the lawn mower! What will next year bring?

  In addition to the use of their land, our friends at the Pinery Water and Wastewater District once again provided bio solids for our residents as well as a much-needed sprinkling of the entry road to help keep the dust down. Thank you.

  Without a group of great volunteers, this event could not be a success. We were very pleased by the number of younger members of the community that helped this year. Their muscle and entertainment was greatly appreciated.

  The fourteen volunteers were: Andrew Boeckle, Ross Bradford, Garth Farrend, Joann Farrend, Ron Henkel, Don Jacobsen, Johanna Jacobsen, Don Reschke, April Ruoff, Steve Ruoff, Fred Slick, Denise Smith, Eric Smith and Greg Sweat. Again - thanks for volunteering in your community!

  We hope to see you all next year to help answer the time-honored question:
    “What will be the favorite discard of 2003?”

Talkin’ Trash by Tom Kimball Pinery Homeowners’ Association “A Little Cash for Your Trash”

Here are some ways to put your refuse to work:

1. Donate used vehicles to charity for a tax deduction

Tax payers may claim a deduction for the “fair market value” of a vehicle when they donate it to a non-profit organization.  It’s up to the individual to determine its value—hold on there’s more...  A common way to estimate a value range for the type of vehicle you are donating is its “blue-book” value.  For any claim of $5,000 or more, the IRS requires documentation of your specific vehicles’ value, in a letter from a reputable third party appraising the value of your vehicle.

To get an idea of what your vehicle may be worth, check the Kelly Blue Book web site is: http://www.kbb.com/

Then, contact “Vehicles for Charity,” which is a (for-profit) clearinghouse for many non-profit associations that accept donated vehicles.  They will offer a selection of charities from which to donate and they will arrange with you to pick up your vehicle and mail you a receipt for tax purposes. They will accept any vehicle with a title and many vehicles without one, for example:

• Cars
• Trucks
• Boats
• Riding lawnmowers
• Go-carts
• Trailers
• Motor homes (if large, they should be drivable—call to check)

Vehicles for Charity (call toll-free): (866) 628-2277 or check their website: http://www.vehiclesforcharity.com/

 2. Used sports equipment:

“Play It Again Sports”
http://www.playitagainsports.com/

Each store is independently operated, so policies may vary.  In general P.I.A.S. will pay you for your used equipment’s resale value like so:

• 40% of its retail (used, resale) value if you want cash the same day you drop off the equipment
• 50% of its estimated value for in-store credit
• 60% if you leave the equipment on consignment.  ‘On consignment’ means that you won’t be paid until it actually sells to a customer.

Equipment that you’ll be likely to sell most easily are seasonal team sports, exercise equipment, and golf equipment.

However, P.I.A.S. won’t take: scuba, climbing, bicycles, and any motor sports vehicles (you can donate the vehicles to charity).

3.Used computers:

(I apologize in advance to Mac owners, because this section is oriented to PCs.  However, I happen to know that Mac owners are very creative; I hope they will make substitutions whenever I use PC-lingo.  Call me if you have questions. I will probably be able to help you find a way to recycle your Mac.)

If your computer is less than three years old, there’s a good chance it has some value left in it.  As of this writing, most dealers will pay a minimum of $60 up to $Hundreds for a serviceable computer. Your value may vary, so any dealer will want to evaluate your machine before they quote you a price. In terms of power, a Pentium II, 300 MHz running Windows 98 is considered a minimum, serviceable system, even if it needs more memory.

To save money on a new system, your less-than-three-year-old system can be upgraded to a larger, faster, and more capable system by adding a CD-ROM burner, a DVD player, a better printer, as well as a faster CPU, more memory, and a new operating system, like Windows XP.  You can upgrade your machine if it’s new enough at much lower prices than buying new.  The dealer will take care of disposing the unused parts for you, as well.

The closest (to the Pinery) PC dealer who will pay you for your computer is Mountain Peak Computers in the Cottonwood Shopping Center, adjacent to King Soopers. Their number is (303) 730-7530. There are many other computer dealers in the Yellow Pages to choose from, as well.

4.  Recyclable metals for cash:

Residents’ most common source of cash from used metals is recycled aluminum cans. Neiman Recycling offers the best rate I found, at 32¢ per pound.

Neiman also offers an educational tour of their facility to school groups, scouts, and other community organizations if you’d like to call in advance. The tour shows how metal is recycled and transformed into new products.  I’m told that the tour group members each get a recycled item to take home with them.

The most valuable scrap metal is pure, clean copper which currently is worth 60¢ per pound. Impure copper and other non-magnetic metals will bring less than the 60¢ price to as low as 2¢ per pound. Ferrous metals like iron are not accepted by most recyclers.  If your refrigerator magnet sticks to it, it’s a ferrous metal.

Some common household recyclable metals that can be redeemed for cash are:

• Copper pipe
• Plumbing fittings and fixtures
• Refrigeration coils from air conditioners and radiators
• Aluminum conduit and fittings
• Lawn furniture
• Wire
• Brass materials
• Non-magnetic car parts
• Zinc materials

Rule of thumb: if it’s a non-magnetic metal, it’s probably redeemable. Check the yellow pages under “Recycling.” Recyclers will take any quantity from 1 to 10,000 pounds!

Some recyclers near us - check the yellow pages for others:

• Neiman Recycling: (303) 935-1200 (2 blocks south of Evans on Platte River Drive).
• Tomra Recycling: (303) 367-0822 (South of I70 on Chambers in Aurora).

Douglas County Household Chemical Roundups

9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Open to residents of Douglas County

This is the last Roundup of the Year!!!

Saturday, September 21, 2002
Castle Rock Maintenance Yard
675 Justice Way
Castle Rock

A $10.00 per participant fee is requested to help offset costs.
For more information, call:
   Roundup Hotline
   303-846-6249
Proof of residency, such as a driver’s license or water bill, is required.