November 2004 Newsletter

	Homeowner
Published by The Pinery Homeowners’ Association, Inc.  Volume 28; Issue 6

---

Pinery General Meeting Update

Another successful Homeowners’ Association general meeting took place on September 15th. Jeff Kroll hosted the first of hopefully many newcomers orientation meetings. We encourage anyone who is interested, to attend a future orientation in January.

Hurricane Ivan reached all the way to the Pinery! Scott Allen from Angle Trees could not give his planned presentation because he was called to Florida to deal with that emergency. We’ll try to reschedule Scott for our January meeting.

Deb Dieter gave a report on our Bird Sanctuary which is about to be certified as a bird habitat in a national registry. Thank you to all the many volunteers over the last 5 years that have helped to make this a reality and a special thanks to Deb for her vision and contributions to our community.

We also discussed Bingham Lake with two Pinery residents, Bob Chapman and Dave Eyre, who serve on the Pinery Water Board. We are pleased that our residents will have access to the lake for fishing and other recreational activities.

It was reported that our volunteer PHA membership has increased to 77% of our residents.

Scott Campbell has volunteered to chair a committee that will finalize the revisions to our by-laws and articles of incorporation. Please look for updated information in the January newsletter.

A brief update on the Colorado Golf Club (the development on the north boundary of the North Pinery), was given by Jeff Kroll indicating that the development is continuing to move forward with the possibility that the golf course will be available to its members in 2006. That means that we will begin to see development of the course throughout 2005.

The evening concluded with a homeland security presentation by Bill Potts of the Parker Fire District. Residents are encouraged to check with Parker Fire District, 303-841-2608, if they would like an evaluation of the fire safety of their home.

by Joe Narracci

January PHA Election

The January election will be held to fill positions on the Community Services Committee and PHA Executive Board. Please consider serving. Candidate information should be submitted to the PHA office, 8170 Hillcrest Way, Parker, CO 80134, by December 6, 2004. Look for more information in the January newsletter.

Coyotes on the Prowl

The PHA office has received a number of calls about the presence of coyotes in the Pinery. It seems that they are showing up not only at night but the daytime, as well, and they are venturing closer to homes.
The following are some excerpts from “Living With Wildlife In Coyote Country”, put out by the Colorado Division of Wildlife:

• Coyotes have expanded their range over the last century. They are found in all habitats, ranging from grasslands and deserts to urban areas and mountains.
• They are generally nocturnal. When coyotes are in close association with man with no disturbance (trapping or hunting), they are less timid and are frequently seen during the day.
• People should never approach pups or attempt to take them from a denning area. Even if you see pups unattended, their parents are usually just a short distance away.

When Coyotes Meet People

Coyotes’ behavior varies depending upon its environment. In the wild where they are actively hunted and trapped, coyotes are generally elusive. Near cities or in areas where hunting and trapping is not allowed, coyotes may be aggressive. In urban settings, they can lose their fear of people and may threaten domestic pets. Although attacks on humans are extremely rare, there have been cases where coyotes have attacked young children.

What to do if you live in Coyote Country

• If you live in areas where coyotes have been seen, PROTECT YOUR PETS! Coyotes will attack and kill cats and dogs. Do not allow your pets to roam, especially at night.
• Do not allow dogs to run with coyotes. Although it appears they are “playing”, coyotes can turn on dogs to defend their territory.
• Don’t leave pet food outside. This invites wildlife into your yard and problems may result.
• Keep your garbage in a storage facility or in a tightly sealed container. Clean garbage cans regularly to reduce residual odors by using hot water and chlorine bleach.

What to do if you meet a Coyote

• Coyotes provide an enjoyable wildlife viewing experience. Keep your distance and do not approach the animals. Enjoy the opportunity to view wildlife.
• Keep your pets on a leash when walking them.
• If a coyote approaches you or your pet, you can use an animal repellent, like pepper spray, to ward off the coyote. Or, throw rocks or sticks at the coyote to scare it away.
• Use a loud, authoritative voice to frighten the animal.

If you have questions or problems related to coyotes, please contact the Division of Wildlife at 303-291-7227.

Trash & Recycling News

...from Lisa Cox,
BFI Representative to the Pinery

Holiday Pickup Schedule

It’s hard to believe it is already November and the holidays are coming soon. Please keep in mind that Thanksgiving is on Thursday, November 27th and BFI trash pickup will be on Friday that week.

Also, Christmas Day, falls on Saturday, December 25th and New Years Day, falls on Saturday, January 1st. Because your pickup is on Thursday, your pickup will not be delayed for either week.

Christmas Trees

After Christmas and up to the first two weeks into the New Year, BFI will pick up your Christmas trees as long as they are shorter than 5 feet. If your tree is longer than 5 feet please cut it in half and both pieces can be placed at the curb. You do not need to call in to schedule the pickup.

True Blue Looking Out for You

True Blue Looking Out For You is a community service program that uses the alert eyes and ears of our BFI employees to report emergency situations to police, fire and medical response personnel. Each BFI vehicle is equipped with a two-way radio and employees are trained to report accidents, suspicious activity or other emergencies to a central BFI dispatcher. The dispatcher then reports that information to the appropriate agency.

Last year BFI employees spent approximately 2,000 hours in the Pinery community. In addition to picking up your trash and recycle material, True Blue is Looking Out for You.

Service Information

• Set your trash and recycle out by 7:00 am. It should be picked up between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. on your regular pickup day.
• Please make sure your cans do not weigh more than 50 pounds and that branches are bundled not to exceed four feet in length.
• If you have an unusual or large item to be picked up with the trash please call our customer satisfaction line at (303) 287-8043 to schedule the item. Some items may require a small fee.

RV Lot News

Winter at the RV Lot

New Combos—November 1

With the fall billing having been completed for RV storage, the combinations to the RV lots have been changed as of November 1. If you have not already done so, please ensure that your storage bill is paid. Once your payment is received, you will be given the new combination. If you have paid for the new lease period and have not received the new combinations, please contact the PHA office, 303-841-8572.

Remove Valuables

Please remember that our RV Storage Lot is an unattended facility. As such, we recommend that removable valuables (e.g. televisions, batteries, etc.) be stored at your residence.

Snow Removal

As a reminder, the RV Storage Lot is not plowed after snowstorms. Past experience has proven this to be very costly, damaging to the lot surface, and ineffective in that many spaces end up plowed in.

Please be Careful when parking Your RV!

 Be a good neighbor and park within your boundaries. If you have questions about your boundaries, call the PHA office, 303-841-8572.

Usage of the Pinery Logo

Any usage of the Pinery logo for any purpose by either an individual or corporation must have written approval by the PHA Board prior to usage.

Bird Sanctuary News

Bird Sanctuary Recognized by the National Wildlife Federation

After six years we finally felt our site was a legitimate habitat and applied to the National Wildlife Federation for a Backyard Habitat designation. They agreed, and one of our long-term goals has been met! We’ve been certified, and hope to have a sign installed this year recognizing this honor. Many thanks to all the volunteers who made this possible.

Sincere thanks also to Rob Steinhauser, who undertook the ambitious installation of a path around the interior of our site for his Eagle project. It meshes nicely with the benches put in by Travis Pixler, and the site looks quite polished nowadays! It is a pleasure to work with these wonderful young men. Two more Eagle projects are in the planning stages, and their completion will mark the fulfillment of all of our long-standing ideas from our volunteers. I am often asked about Eagle projects, and the challenge is to keep the area as natural-looking as possible, as well as safe and low-maintenance.

Many other blessings have come our way. Mary Wiedemann, who has moved to North Carolina and contributed much to our efforts while living in the Pinery, visited recently and gave us a generous donation. This, in addition to a tree donated by Christel and Brett Barber, will allow us to create an area to honor Mary (shh! It’s a secret!) and to bring more wildflowers to our site. Also, Dennis Volz has contributed another nesting box, to replace one that had a rough winter, and we’ve installed it at the east end, in hopes that there is enough space between the two nesting boxes at the site that even the most territorial of birds will occupy both boxes.

We had a successful bulb sale as a fundraiser last month. Thanks to all of you who purchased bulbs, and thanks to Christel for organizing the event. Barb Westerdale and LuAnn and Stephen Unks helped me out at the table at the fire station. Thanks for your company!! We will use the money to purchase seed for buffalo grass along the path and wildflowers.

Many thanks, again, to our wonderful volunteers. Deb Dieter 303.840.4360

COVENANT CORNER
The Pinery Architectural Control Committee

Attention Woodworkers!

The Pinery Architectural Control Committee is working to institute a ‘Yard of the Month’ program for the warm months. Part of the program will include posting, with owners’ approval, an attractive sign in the front yard of the residence, with a look similar to the wooden portion of the Pinery information signs. If you have the skills and equipment needed to create such a sign and would like to contribute your effort to the community, please contact our office at 303-841-5305 or ThePineryACC@comcast.net.

Winter Maintenance

During winter months, field mice and other critters are on the lookout for a warm place to live. An open garage door invites these guys to take up residence. To prevent these incursions and for the security of your property, be sure to keep your garage door closed when not entering or leaving.

Be sure to water periodically. In the event that our rain or snowfall is not adequate, put your hose on your trees and shrubs for some monthly deep-root watering.

The Pinery was developed prior to the Douglas County requirement for street lights. Generally, this is viewed as a neighborhood amenity, giving our neighborhood a rural feel and allowing a great view of the night sky. Most homes in the Pinery have low-wattage yard lights for safety and security. With the longer winter hours, be sure that bulbs are maintained.

Fall Cleanup

October 2, 2004 dawned bright and beautiful in the Pinery. The weather couldn’t have been better. The best volunteer turnout in recent memory for a Pinery Community Cleanup resulted in a great event coordinated by Jeff Kroll. Volunteers cleaned up trash along Pinery Parkway and Betts Ranch Road.

The workers included: Danielle Alvarez, Ayako Nishiide, Lisa Stull, Kyla Moe-Stull, Taron Moe-Stull, Amanda Teirelbar, Hatem Teirelbar, Jessica Blankenship, Kristi Koltiska, Deirdre Dufresne, Kenzie Bristow, Jennifer Henry, Justin Carlton, Katie Bess, Dillon Bess, Margaux Bess, Jenn Huynh, Chelsey Hunninghake, Leslie Craw, Clifford Craw, Caroline Craw, Dana Ritterbusch, Cindy Snow, Theresa Roy, Elisabeth Roy, Katherine Roy, John Roy, Kelly Ross, Renee Kurreck, Kenneth Beck, Denise Smith and Ron Henkel. Several of the volunteers were from the Ponderosa High School ‘Interact’ community service club.

On the same date, in addition to the above activity, a group of residents formerly organized as the American Association of University Women held a walk and cleanup at Bingham Lake to honor the Race for the Cure.

A Big Thank You for a Successful Blood Drive
from Bonfils Blood Center

The entire staff of Bonfils Blood Center wishes to express their thanks and appreciation to you for hosting your very first mobile blood drive during the month of August at The Pinery Homeowners’ Association. On Friday, August 17th a total of 20 units of whole blood were collected, 14 of which were first time donors! Your good-will effort made a tremendous impact on the community by saving or enhancing the lives of up to 60 people!

A special thank you goes out to all of the donors who cared enough to give their very best.

NEWS FROM THE WATER BOARD:

In September we finalized the lease on Bingham Lake with Douglas County. Some of you were at the PHA meeting in September to hear about why we did this and how the lease was structured. It is our hope to continue to work this issue, but for now, the County is our primary partner in the management of the lake, but it is hoped that we continue to work the fish management program with the homeowners’ association.

We also recently had an act of vandalism at Bingham Lake. On the night of September 21st, there was a break-in at the Pinery Country Club. As in the past, golf carts were stolen and one of these was driven off the new dock into the lake. This repeat act of senseless vandalism only reinforces the need for us to increase the self policing of the Bingham Lake area and associated Water District facilities. With the help of the Douglas County Sheriff’s department, and now Douglas County itself, we will see if we can prevent actions such as these in the future. To assist us, we need to enlist the help of all District Members. If you see activities in and around District facilities and there is not a Pinery Water District Vehicle in the area, please do not hesitate to contact the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office to report the activity. One act of apparent innocent vandalism can impact us all. In particular, the Bingham Lake Area is closed to all activities at dusk, when most of the past vandalism has occurred. With your assistance, we can attempt to prevent future acts of vandalism and destruction of District property.

Also, you should have received newly formatted water and sewer bills. We have noted some format problems and will be making changes. Thank you for your feedback; it helps us to improve our service to you, our customers.

As always, you are cordially invited to attend our monthly meetings, which are currently scheduled for the second Wednesday of each month, at 6:00 p.m. at the District Offices. Please feel free to contact our office at 303-841-2797 if you have any questions about District operations and questions about the information presented here.

David C. Eyre
Civil Engineer, P.E., Director
Pinery Water & Wastewater District

Recipes Needed

The Parker Historical Society, in conjunction with the Parker Task Force food bank, is putting together a book of area recipes. In past years, the Historical Society put a significant amount of effort into restoring the Fonder Cemetery, located on the east side of Highway 83 at Scott Road, between the North and South Pinery entrances. The Society currently ensures ongoing maintenance of this historic cemetery. The Task Force serves the Parker, Franktown and Elizabeth areas. Proceeds from sale of the cookbooks will benefit both organizations.

Recipe Collection Sheet forms are available at the Pinery office, Parker Chamber of Commerce, Mainstreet Center, Parker Library, several Parker businesses and churches or www.parkertaskforce.org . Send completed recipe forms by November 30, 2004 to Community Cookbook Project, P. O. Box 2645, Parker, CO 80134.