Residents on Windlawn Way have expressed concerns about the County’s drainage plans for the Pinery. The Public Works Department has been reviewing the entire Pinery for upgrades that are needed to correct existing problems. Public Works Director, Fred Koch, and Brad Robenstein, Drain and Flood Control Engineer, will be present at our September 21st General Meeting to discuss possible solutions and answer residents’ questions. This is an excellent opportunity to find out what is being done to correct drainage problems and to express concerns that you have.

Dave Perkins, Great Gulf’s onsite manager for The Timbers, will also be available to speak with residents about construction progress, including road construction at the top of North Pinery Parkway. Construction of homes in The Timbers has triggered Great Gulf’s agreement with the county to complete the Pinery Parkway connection. At the same time, there is a need for a new water line to serve existing homes; therefore the water line and the Parkway connector are being completed simultaneously. In order to discourage use of Ponderosa through Misty Pines as a through street, it is being realigned to cause speed reduction and encourage use of the new Pinery Parkway connector. 

Reata General Manager, Susan Peterson will also talk about Terrabrook’s plans for the 1,700-acre parcel immediately north of the Pinery. 

The reflective “Trick or Treat” bags were very popular last year, and we feel that they will keep your little hobgoblins and ghosts a bit safer as they collect their treats (no tricks, please) again this year. The bags can be picked up free of charge at the PHA office weekdays between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Any thoughts or comments will always be considered and appreciated.

During our recent cleanup of the Pinery Parkway, the continued dumping of trash on the sides of the roadway and median was very evident. The amount of trash obviously thrown out of vehicles has become a very unsightly and in some cases dangerous problem. Children walking to school and people walking or jogging are apt to step on various types of trash and may twist an ankle or even fall. This problem also effects the Bingham Lake area with people having beer parties and filling the waste containers with empty beer cans and cartons. Just look at the types of trash recently found on the median of the North Parkway.

• Glass bottles, liquor/soft-drinks
• Plastic bottles, liquor and soft drinks
• Cigarette cartons and empty packs
• Snuff cans (metal & plastic)
• Construction materials and boxes
• Cardboard beer cartons
• Aluminum cans, pop and beer
• Clothing
• Bags of garbage
• Fast food bags and empty drink cups. (Some bags had food in them)

We as residents of the Pinery must take responsibility to do what we can to stop the destruction of our neighborhoods by reporting “dumpers” to the Sheriff’s Office for prosecution. If we don’t do our part to stop this problem, our area will look bad and may cause our property values to diminish. Please do your part and let’s keep the Pinery neat and clean for everyone.  

 We need a few community-minded folks who are willing to lend a hand (or two) on Saturday, October 9th, to clean up the roads and lake area in the Pinery. We will meet at the Pinery Fire Station parking lot at 9 a.m. Remember to wear sunscreen, sturdy shoes or boots, work gloves and other clothing appropriate for the weather. The more volunteers who turn out, the better job we can do and the less time it will take to get the job done! Thanks for your help!

Please be aware that All-Terrain Vehicles and/or dirt bikes are considered by Douglas County to be “toy vehicles” and are not permitted to be operated on public streets or sidewalks. There are areas specifically designated for these vehicles off of Rampart Range Road in the western part of the County. For specific information, contact the National Forest Service, South Platte Ranger Station at 303-275-5610.  

 PHA has very attractive, top quality navy and green Pinery nylon microfiber jackets available in adult sizes small through 2XL available at $50.00. Also available are the popular green denim caps that have an embroidered Pinery name and logo, adjustable leather straps and cost just $9.50. These can be seen at the PHA office, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.

As we near the winter months, please be aware that it is the policy of the PHA to not plow snow from the RV Lots. Past experience has been that this very costly service damages the lot surfaces and causes snow to be piled up in front of individual spaces, causing access problems. If you must access your property frequently during the winter months, you may want to consider storage elsewhere. Thanks for your understanding.

The 1999 Kids Fishing Derby, held on Saturday, July 17th, was a huge success with attendance reaching 100. The largest fish caught were a 14” large mouth bass and two 14” wiper bass. Approximately two-thirds of the entrants caught fish. Winners each received a rod and reel and all others in attendance at the end of the derby were awarded door prizes

 Douglas County Parks and Open Space Director Ron Benson tells us that work on Pinery Park playground equipment will begin in September and be completed by late fall. PHA has obtained a safety survey on Lakeshore Park and North Park, our two neighborhood parks, and will use this information in planning for upgrades to equipment at the parks.

Thurs., Sept. 23, 7 pm, Mainstreet Center, 1650 E. Mainstreet in Parker. This is your opportunity to let the PUC know what you think!

*The following wrap-up was submitted by coordinator Tom Kimball who has been characteristically modest and made only passing mention of the contribution of the Kimball family. Gracious thanks to Tom, Barb and Allison who, with their wonderful volunteers, made it happen.

Over 600 Pinery residents and their families attended the 9th Annual Pinery Pedal and Picnic Saturday, August 14th, 1999 at the huge field in Pinery Park. Sunshine and mostly clear skies heated the air to a comfy 90 degrees.

Destinations Cyclery was a primary sponsor again this year and tuned and repaired many bikes prior to the rides. There’s nothing like getting a flat fixed, a bumping chain smoothed, or having your tires pumped full to smooth the ride. 

Kids who completed State Farm’s Bicycle Safety Rodeo were awarded photo-id licenses. Kids also climbed aboard Parker Fire Department’s hook and ladder, some got their faces painted, and the littlest ones played at the Pinery Beach. The bravest and hottest of the kids sat under the water tank while their tormenters threw tennis balls at a target to release a cooling shower . 

Bill Hames, expert fly-fisherman, showed a couple of dozen Pinerians some valuable tips on fly-rod casting. The Pinery Bird Sanctuary and Pinery Homeowners Association tents were well attended by interested citizens. Sweet Lorraine’s fed the neighborhood in very good time, doling out more than 600 grilled lunches in a little under an hour. 

The Raptor Education Foundation wowed everyone with their beautiful birds of prey! Two huge Golden Eagles and a Great Horned Owl stole the show. The Harris’ Hawk and Kestrel looked great, too. Being close to magnificent creatures like these is very special. Everyone present, and there were many, learned a lot from the expert staff of the Raptor Education Foundation. 

Thank you to all who generously volunteered their time and energy to make this event a big success again this year.

 Thanks also to the local business who donated prizes to the drawing:

To bring everyone up to date on what’s going on in the Timbers (the subdivision just south of the Pinery on S. Pinery Parkway/Democrat Road… The 120 lots in Filing 22 sold in the price range of $40 - 75K depending on location and size. For Filing 23-A, the 64 lots sold in a price range of $55 - 80K again depending on size and location. Filing 23-B has 93 lots that will be sold by a lottery system sometime in September 1999. These lots are larger, ranging in size from 1/3 acre to just over an acre; prices will range from approximately $70 - 100K. Currently 95 homes are occupied, with another 35 to 40 under construction. Dave Perkins, Project Manager for the Pinery Joint Venture (Timbers’ developer) will be at the PHA General Meeting on September 21 to bring us up to date on activities in the Timbers.

Summer is almost over and we can happily state that it was wetter than normal. This was good, for it allowed the District to put in several additions to the overall water delivery system that is already improving our ability to meet customer demands. We were able to do this without affecting too many of you and we appreciate the patience that you showed throughout the total process.

By now, all of you who receive potable water service from the District should have received a copy of the “Pinery Water and Wastewater Consumer Confidence Report for Calendar Year 1998”. The District Water Manager has produced this report in various forms for many years, but the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency now requires that the information in our water quality reports be provided to the users of District water. The report contains many technical items outlining what is contained in the District water. Please be assured these chemicals and constituents are also found in one form or another in most water of the Rocky Mountain Region, even the bottled water that you buy from various vendors. This is part of the process of educating consumers as to what is contained in items consumed. View it just like the ingredient and nutritional content labels placed upon most food items that we purchase. If you have concerns or require additional information, please contact the District Manager for additional information. In our August “Water Line” we addressed many of the issues that we are dealing with to provide you better and higher quality service. If we have missed anything that you may wish to have more information about, please feel to give us a call. We are working diligently to improve our service to you, our customers. 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 us at (303) 841-2797. If you wish to meet with us in person, we encourage you to attend the regularly scheduled board meetings, held at the District Offices, the second Tuesday of every month, at 7 p.m. If this is not possible, then please stop by the District Office during the week, Monday through Friday, 8-4 daily. Someone is always available to meet with you and discuss your concerns.

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

Many thanks to all who made this a smashing summer for the Bird Sanctuary. To Chris and Jacqueline Peterson, who donated seed for wildflowers. To Jeff Newton of Parker Sprinkler, who is helping us to put together a sprinkler system at a great discount. To Robert Kelley, who has offered advice and contacts for plants from his experience with another sanctuary. And to all who helped, signed up and donated at the Pedal, making our booth such a fun place to be! Special thanks to Mary Wiedemann, who donated a portrait in exchange for a sanctuary donation. We understand we may have a taker!!

We hope to do some sprucing up, as well as install a sprinkler system by the end of September. In November, the wildflowers will be planted. Our success with combating knapweed tells us we can go ahead and (finally) put in bushes in the spring. Our once over-run field is now blooming with a diverse set of native prairie plants and grasses. Look in this space next time for more news, and, as always, if you want to help, donate, or get community service hours, call Deb Dieter at 303-840-4360. Thank you!!