May 1999 Newsletter

PHA  HOMEOWNER

PUBLISHED BY THE PINERY HOMEOWNERS' ASSOCIATION

9th ANNUAL PINERY PEDAL and PICNIC
Saturday, August 14, 1999

Everyone in the Pinery neighborhoods is welcome to attend this year’s summertime picnic and bike ride. This event is held each August to have some fun as a neighborhood!

Pinery on- and off- road bike routes were great last year and some new routes are planned for this year. The catered BBQ picnic and events like the Pinery Beach, the dunk tank, face painting, fire truck tour, bicycle safety rodeo, and offerings by neighborhood groups (Pinery Bird Sanctuary, Pinery Lake, Pinery Country Club…) offer much to do for you and your family. Destinations Cyclery and other local businesses plan to donate to the drawing again this year.

The PP&P will be held at the Pinery Park (next to the fire station) from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., so there will be plenty of room for the catered lunch and numerous events. Last year, 320 adults and 155 children were registered with more expected this year.

Many new neighbors from the Timbers and other neighborhoods attended in ’98 and we want to be sure that all of you in the Pinery know that you are invited this year. The Pinery neighborhoods include:

Bike rides and events at the park are free. Lunches are free to PHA members and their immediate families who register in advance. PHA membership is paid for automatically for those who use the PHA/Waste Management trash program and is available to other families for $20/year. Lunches for visiting guests or non-PHA members will be available for a nominal fee, too, with advance registration.

To check on your membership status or join, call the office at 303-841-8572 or come by the office in the lower level of the fire station.

PP&P registration forms will be included in the next issue of the PHA newsletter and we plan to offer registration on the web site later this year.

If you have a local business and would like to participate, or would like to volunteer to coordinate registration, field setup, or course marshalling, call Tom Kimball, PP&P coordinator, at 303-841-1846. There’s plenty of information from past years to follow. New ideas are always welcome!

Hope to see you all there – mark your calendars for Saturday, August 14!

NOTES FROM THE PHA

JUNE IS BUSTING OUT WITH COMMUNITY EVENTS!

PINERY GARAGE SALE
Fri. & Sat., June 4th & 5th, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm

Clean out those closets bursting with no longer used toys, sporting goods or clothing! Organize all those tools, bikes, and other odd items in the garage, and mark those never used items for sale! Tackle the basement on a cold, rainy day—few and far between in Colorado—and see what you can come up with! Turn those unneeded items into cash at the Pinery Garage Sale, Friday and Saturday, June 4th and 5th from 9 AM to 3 PM.

If you want to have a sale at your house, please call Carol Yost, 303-840-8093 or the PHA office, 303- 841-8572, and leave your name, address and phone number. We will get your address on the map that will be handed out to shoppers as they enter The Pinery. You may want to place a garage sale sign on your property or in some other way identify your sale site. To insure that you are included, please call before Monday, May 24th at 3 p.m. PHA will run classified ads in the Douglas County News Press, Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News. This is the fifth year that PHA has sponsored the Community Garage Sale and the number of sales and shoppers increases each year, so be prepared for some serious shoppers!

KIDS FISHING DERBY
Saturday, June 12th, 2 – 5:30 PM

The much anticipated KIDS FISHING DERBY will be held at Bingham Lake in the Pinery on June 12th. Registration will begin at 1:45 PM near the west end parking lot. Every participant will win a prize! Grand prizes will be awarded for the longest fish caught in each species.

Adult volunteers are needed to assist at the lake during the derby.
Please call Doug Stephenson, 303-841-3524, if you can help.

LARGE ITEM DROP OFF
Saturday, June 19th, 7 AM – 2 PM

It’s that time again, for everyone to get rid of all those things around the house that the garbage man won’t take. PHA is again providing the facilities and place for your Large Item Drop Off.

WHERE: Across Highway 83 from our main entrance at our RV Storage Area

COST: $5.00 for PHA Members----$25.00 for non-PHA Members

WHAT WILL BE ACCEPTED: Generally most large items will be accepted. All items must be placed into the dumpsters by the person(s) bringing the item to the drop area. Our volunteers will NOT handle loading or unloading. (Insurance prohibits) Nothing can be dumped onto the ground!

WHAT WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED:

Paints (Fire District will offer paint disposal in September)

Contractor Cleanup Materials

Garden Clippings, Tree Limbs or Trash.

It’s time to get rid of that "old refrigerator" or other appliance/fixtures--old chairs, sofa, tables, metal items and things you need to clear out!

VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED. PLEASE CALL BILL HAMES, 303-840-0565

PLEASE PUT TRASH OUT ON MORNING OF COLLECTION!

trash.jpg (2490 bytes)There have been several complaints about blowing trash on trash pickup days in the Pinery. PHA is working with Waste Management to correct any problems created by their collection practices. If you see any trash truck pulling away from a stop with trash blowing away, please call the PHA office, 303-841-8572, to let us know the address, time of violation and name of the trash company. We can then take this up with the company involved for resolution.

It can be windy in the Pinery because of our higher elevation and lack of large buildings that could block wind gusts. Quite often, when trash is loose in cans, some of it blows away in the process of being emptied into the trucks. We are asking that residents bag trash before placing it in cans to prevent this. Also, please place the newspaper recycling bin underneath the bin that you use for other recyclables, or place some other weight on newspapers so that they won’t blow away on recycling days.

Let’s work together to eliminate unsightly trash on Pinery streets!

PINERY LOGO BASEBALL CAPS & JACKETS

PHA has attractive denim green and natural colored caps, ideal for golf and other sports, available in the PHA Office. These caps are top quality, have an embroidered Pinery name and logo, adjustable leather straps and cost just $9.50. We also have three size small green/navy MicroFiber jackets with hoods, ordered at the last year’s Pinery Pedal but as yet unclaimed, available at $50 each. To see or purchase caps or jackets, please drop by the office in the lower level of the Pinery Fire Station, 9 A.M. and 3 P.M. any weekday. Jackets can be ordered in all sizes.

IREA PROVIDES LIGHTNING
ARRESTERS TO HOMEOWNERS

Rural Electric Association’s Lon Kerstiens, Director of Energy Conservation, answered questions about power outages at the last PHA General Meeting and said that IREA supplies lightning arresters free of charge for IREA members. PHA has received a supply of the arresters and they are available for pickup at the PHA office. They provide protection for homes, garage door openers and outdoor lighting. Directions for installation are included. Call Lon at 303-841-7663 with any questions on energy conservation or the arresters.

UPDATE ON THE PERMATEK ROOFING SITUATION

A full report is now available that addresses solutions to problems with Permatek roofs. A copy of this report can be obtained by contacting Fran Miller, of the Homeowners’ Alliance* at 303-944-7184. For more information see page 7.

* Not connected to The Pinery Homeowners’ Association.

CHILDREN’S INTERNATIONAL SUMMER VILLAGE
INTERCHANGE PROGRAM
 Teens for Peace

What is Interchange?

Aims of Interchange

Rocky Mountain Denver 1999 Interchange

Interested? Contact Beth Hawley , 303-841-1303 or Cheryl Rose-Gonzalez, 303-841-9740

WOODPECKER WOES? 

This time of the year, the woodpeckers in our area (mostly northern flickers) become active. Wood siding, trim and stucco can be vulnerable to pecking damage.

Not all pecking is damaging. Drumming, rapid machine-gun like volleys followed by a loud call of "wick-wick-wick", is done to announce ownership of a nesting territory and is not done with enough force to cause damage. Also, a woodpecker feeds on insects found just below the bark of a tree. Pecking for food is irregular, muted and rarely a problem along the Front Range. Nest excavation is extremely damaging. This type of pecking is louder, slower and more regular and forceful than drumming. Favorite nesting sites are dead trees. We have only recently become aware of the importance of dead and dying trees in habitat. What should I do if my house is selected? Several techniques can help prevent or eliminate this damage. We have information on file at the PHA office that we’ll be happy to share. Call 303-841-8572 and give us your name and address.

PINERY PARK IMPROVEMENTS

In the March issue of "The Pinery Homeowner" we reported that the county would be replacing the old playground equipment at Pinery Park and planting a dozen or more trees on Arbor Day. There are now ten new Brandywine and Spring Snow crab apple trees and two new Ponderosa Pine trees at the west end of the park. Our sincere thanks to Ron Benson and staff in the Douglas County Parks and Rec. Department! Watch for other playground improvements as summer approaches!

YES!! THE BIRD SANCTUARY IS BLOOMING!!

bird.jpg (2757 bytes)Actually, the really noticeable flowers are a ways off, but this spring we will be planting native grasses, Ponderosa seedlings, Mountain Ash trees and possibly some bushes. We’re hoping bushes will eventually be the main component of the sanctuary, but we currently need the grasses on the site to compete with the noxious knapweed. Perhaps you saw the goats helping us out with this problem! Look for them to graze the site at least once more this summer. When the knapweed is under control, wildflowers will be planted in the center of the site.

We are always appreciative of your donations. Most recently, we received donations from Jan Wells, Karen Sosa, Brett Barber, Christel Kozar and Sheila Gallup. Thank you so much!! If you would like to donate a bush in honor of a friend or family member, or as a memorial, please contact the PHA office at 303-841-8572. We will acknowledge your gift with an announcement in this newsletter and/or a card sent to the honoree.

We would also like to thank students from National Honor Society at Ponderosa High School who are helping us out on the site. We hope to get more scouts and students involved. This is a wonderful, educational community service project. Call the PHA office for volunteer opportunities. We look forward to hearing from you and seeing you!

Deb Dieter

COVENANT CORNER
The Pinery Architectural Control Committee

New Committee Members

The election of new board members was held on Tuesday, April 6, 1999. The following three candidates were elected: Craig Haynes,  Dick Nace and Dan Rohr (Incumbent)

We appreciate their willingness to give of their time in this positive manner.

Gerard Brushaber and Pat Niederlitz, after having served on the Board for several years each, have resigned. The Committee would like to thank both Gerard and Pat for their significant time and effort given in support of maintaining the quality of life in the Pinery.

VOLUNTEERS CORNER

COMMUNITY CLEANUP, Saturday, May 22, 9 AMrt83.jpg (1921 bytes)

Volunteers for the Spring Community Cleanup and Adopt-A-Road will meet at the Pinery Fire Station Parking lot at 9 AM on Saturday, the 22nd of May. If you can help out just once, you will be part of the ongoing campaign to keep our community looking its best! Remember to wear sturdy gloves and shoes and use sunscreen if weather indicates.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR RV LOT EXPANSION

We still need two resident Professional Engineers in the civil and/or electrical engineering fields to work with PHA Vice-President, Dave Kristick, on building a third RV storage lot later this year. Please let us hear from you (303-841-8572) if you are willing to contribute your expertise to this project!

LARGE ITEM DROP OFF

Bill Hames has generously consented to head the Large Item Drop Off on June 19th, in addition to the many other projects he handles on behalf of the Pinery, but he could use a few more people to direct traffic, check memberships, make change, etc. If you could spend a few hours this way after you drop off your items, please give Bill a call at 303-840-0565.

mower.jpg (2936 bytes)SPRING LAWNMOWER BRIGADE…

Still needs a few more recruits if the entire North Pinery Parkway is to be mowed. Anyone who is interested in joining this great group of volunteers should call the PHA Office, 303-841-8572.

RV NEWS
Storage Lot Practices…

As a reminder! The trash receptacles at the entrances are for ‘household-type’ trash and litter. They are not for heavy, large or hazardous materials; for example, if when you clean out for summer use, you need to discard a tarp, all your canned goods which you forgot to remove and use in the fall, your dead battery… (you get the picture), they should not be disposed of at the lot. The RV Lot Manager (a.k.a. Storage Lot garbage person) thanks you!

Although rare, occurrences of theft have periodically occurred at the Storage Lot. Small, easily removable items of value (such as RV batteries) should be secured or stored at home in your garage. Also, be sure to lock the gate behind you when you enter the lot so that unauthorized persons don’t follow you in when you would be unaware of their presence. Or, if you’re close enough to the gate to be aware of those entering, challenge them for the combination.

NEWS FROM THE WATER BOARD

faucet.jpg (2375 bytes)David C. Eyre, Civil Engineer, P.E.
Director

Spring is well upon us and summer is almost here. Unfortunately this appears to be a year in which we may experience drought conditions in Colorado. In the recent Pinery Water Line, several discussed making maximum use of water saving practices. Using these practices along with other water conservation plans that the District has already implemented, we ensure that our current water delivery system will be able to meet District peak demand day needs. We are also increasing the capacity of the water systems to address future needs. We have plenty of good, high quality water and will take all steps necessary to ensure that this water is there now, and in the future, but we need your help and assistance to ensure that this valuable resource is used wisely.

On a bright note, with the nice weather that this dry year has presented us (got to get something positive out of it), construction of our additional reservoirs and water delivery pipeline along the South Pinery Entrance and Democrat Road is proceeding well. These new facilities will ensure that future demands for all the Pinery will continue to be met. Please excuse any inconvenience that may occur during this construction period.

The District continues to make excellent progress in ensuring Year 2000 (Y2K) compliance and ongoing maintenance and repair of the all District systems. Progress boards on the Y2K issues are at the PHA office if you wish to see just where the District stands on compliance. As for the inspection and cleaning of the sanitary sewer systems, these programs also continue to make excellent progress. We have implemented practices that exceed industry standards and are striving to ensure that the system operates with minimal problems now and in the future. As for the water system, the flushing of fire hydrants and other components went well this year. Some people have raised concerns about just how and why we do this, but please understand that this is standard industry practice. Using the amount of water we do is a small price to pay for ensuring that we have high quality water within our system. As we find problems in any part of the system, we will immediately address those problems to ensure minimum disruption to you, our customers. Our goal continues to be to meet, or exceed, the needs of the members of the District.

If you or any other member of the District have questions or concerns on any water or sanitary sewer issues, please feel free to contact the District at (303)841-2797. If you wish to appear in person, we encourage you to attend the regularly scheduled meetings, held at the District Offices, the second Tuesday of every month, at 7 p.m., or to stop by the District Office, Monday through Friday, 8-4 daily.

BINGHAM LAKE NEWS

The fishing season is off to a good start. PHA has 1999 Lake Use Permits available in the office, open 9 to 3 weekdays. Permit revenues are used for stocking the lake with fish, and the cost is shared jointly by PHA and the Pinery Water and Wastewater District. PHA also funds recreational use of the lake by providing maintenance of the dock, boat ramp and picnic and parking area. Because this is a private lake for use by Pinery Water District members and their guests only, no state fishing license is required. The purchase of a Lake Use Permit, required for use of the lake, returns far more in pleasure than the nominal $10 cost.

FREE BASIC FLY FISHING LESSONS

Pinery resident and fly fisherman, Bill Hames, has once again generously offered to give basic fly fishing lessons to men or women who call (PHA members only, please). There will be a first session of one and one-half hours on grass with equipment provided, with a one-hour follow up session after person has had chance to practice his or her casting technique. To register or to get more information, call 303-840-0565.