The Spring 2012 edition of the Treetop Times has been published to the web site. You can view the newsletter by clicking below. For those who visit the web site regularly, the articles in this edition of the newsletter will be familiar, though there is some new content as well.
The Treetop Times is published in Adobe PDF format, which requires the Adobe Reader, found HERE.
To fill the vacancy left by Frank Samuelson’s delayed recovery from a fall last year, the ALPHA Board of Directors has named Mark Carlson as President of the Board.
Well, that’s me. In case you’re wondering who “me” is, I’m the one who writes the posts / articles on the ALPHA web site and sends the email updates.
I accepted Mike Willemsen’s nomination for board president because I saw a need to make a few changes to how the board of directors operates and to bring the ALPHA into compliance with state law.
So what does that mean?
With a background in the technology industry, I saw an opportunity to modernize many of the procedures and workflows that will allow the board to operate more efficiently and hopefully provide you, the homeowner, with the most positive experience possible when you have contact with the board of directors.
Over the last year, the ALPHA web site and email have become key communication tools between the board and you. Since we launched it in January 2011, we’ve received a number of positive comments regarding the site and the automatic updates you receive when a new article is posted to it. We look forward to the continued use of these tools in the future.
The board is currently taking steps to formalize a collection policy and with the number of homes for sale in Lilac Park, an architectural review policy is also coming. The purpose of these polices is simply to provide clarity to those already-existing elements of the CC&Rs/ By-Laws, and many are required by law.
While change is coming to the board, we also look forward to bringing back some traditions that have been forgotten in recent years. Beginning later this spring, ALPHA plans to organize and host a number of social events at the pool.
Sue Lynch has agreed to chair the Social Events Committee and together with Karen Nelson and Ahna Brown, they’ve got some great ideas for events including root a beer float socials, movie night, kids’ swim night, and wine tasting and finger-food-potlucks. Nothing is set in stone yet, so look to the web site and your email for more information as the weather warms up some.
We look forward to a great year in 2012 with a few planned improvements like new solar panels for the pool, some new paint, and a few other updates. Personally, I look forward to swimming in warm water this year.
Anyway, as your board, we’re here to serve you, the homeowner’s association, so if you if you have any questions or comments, please email them to me at info@arnoldlilacparkhoa.org.
Many of you are aware that Frank Samuelson, ALPHA’s President for the last several years, was injured in a fall at his cabin here in Lilac Park last September.
Shortly after his fall, Frank underwent surgery to repair a broken hip and is currently in a rehab facility in Concord. Frank’s recovery has been slow-going over the last seven months, with some improvements and some setbacks.
According to Mike Willemsen, ALPHA’s Vice President, Frank’s slowed recovery will prevent him from fulfilling the duties of the office of President of the Board anytime soon.
As a result, the Board of Directors unanimously moved Frank away from the office of President and has named him ALPHA’s first “Honorary Board Member for Life” in recognition for all that he’s done for Lilac Park over the last 25 + years. While there are certainly other homeowners in Lilac Park also worthy of this recognition, the current Board of Directors wanted to recognize Frank and thank him for his leadership and past contributions to our community.
The board of directors is asking ALPHA homeowners to send Frank a card or note of encouragement to the address you will be receiving via email. For Frank’s overall privacy, we did not want to publish it here.
Thanks for all you’ve done, Frank. We appreciate you.
The 2012 Pro Forma Budget has been published. You may access it by clicking on the Homeowners Only link above or just click here.
You will need the homeowner password for the web site to access it. It is in Adobe PDF format, which requires the Acrobat Reader. (click here to get it)
The 2012 Pro-Forma Budget is nearly completed. It is expected to be published on Tuesday, December 27, 2011.
If you receive email billing but would prefer to have a paper copy of the pro-forma budget mailed to you via USPS, please send us a note to info@arnoldlilacparkhoa.org. The board of directors will be happy to mail it to you, but please keep in mind that the budget packet is fairly thick and postage costs per each-copy-mailed are high. Anyone who does not receive email billing will automatically have a copy sent via USPS to the address on file with the board.
The board of directors will publish the electronic version of the pro-forma budget to the web site in .pdf format which requires Adobe Acrobat Reader to view. (get it here for free) Once published, notification of how to access it will be posted here, on the ALPHA web site. You will need the homeowner password for the web site to view it.
If you indicated your preference for this in 2010, please be aware that the board is continuing to update records in our Member Database with your individual billing and notification preferences as we have them, but this process is ongoing and won’t be completed by the 12/27/11 date of the pro-forma publication.
If you have any questions, please contact the board at info@arnoldlilacparkhoa.org or leave a message at 209.795.3807.
Known as “The People’s Tree”, the 2011 Nation’s Capitol Christmas Tree will be harvested from the Stanislaus National Forest located in the Central Sierra Nevada Mountains of California.
The Forest Service recommends 8 to 10 trees to the superintendent of the capitol grounds, who makes the final selection of which tree will be the official U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree.
Several aspects are taken into account during the selection, including the shape and fullness of the tree, the tree color and foliage condition, and species characteristics of needle retention and branch pliability. Of course, access to the tree for ease of cutting, loading, and transporting are also considered.
Click on the picture or HERE for more information.
Thanks go to Grace Neurath for forwarding this info to the board.
The fall Equinox is a good time of year to start thinking about preparing your home for winter, because as temperatures begin to dip, your home will require maintenance to keep it in tip-top shape through the winter.
Autumn is invariably a prelude to falling winter temperatures, regardless of where you live. It might rain or snow or, as David Letterman says, “Fall is my favorite season in Los Angeles, watching the birds change color and fall from the trees.” Did you know there is only one state in the United States where the temperatures have never dipped below zero? Give up? It’s Hawaii.
Here are ten tips to help you prepare your home for winter:
1) Furnace Inspection
Call an HVAC professional to inspect your furnace and clean ducts.
Stock up on furnace filters and change them monthly.
Consider switching out your thermostat for a programmable thermostat.
If your home is heated by a hot-water radiator, bleed the valves by opening them slightly and when water appears, close them.
Remove all flammable material from the area surrounding your furnace.
2) Get the Fireplace Ready
Cap or screen the top of the chimney to keep out rodents and birds.
If the chimney hasn’t been cleaned for a while, call a chimney sweep to remove soot and creosote.
Buy firewood or chop wood. Store it in a dry place away from the exterior of your home.
Inspect the fireplace damper for proper opening and closing.
Check the mortar between bricks and tuckpoint, if necessary.
Top off your propane tank BEFORE the snow arrives.
3) Check the Exterior, Doors and Windows
Inspect exterior for crevice cracks and exposed entry points around pipes; seal them.
Use weatherstripping around doors to prevent cold air from entering the home and caulk windows.
Replace cracked glass in windows and, if you end up replacing the entire window, prime and paint exposed wood.
If your home has a basement, consider protecting its window wells by covering them with plastic shields.
Switch out summer screens with glass replacements from storage. If you have storm windows, install them.
4) Inspect Roof, Gutters & Downspouts
If your weather temperature will fall below 32 degrees in the winter, adding extra insulation to the attic will prevent warm air from creeping to your roof and causing ice dams.
Check flashing to ensure water cannot enter the home.
Replace worn roof shingles or tiles.
Clean out the gutters and use a hose to spray water down the downspouts to clear away debris.
Consider installing leaf guards on the gutters or extensions on the downspouts to direct water away from the home.
5) Service Weather-Specific Equipment
Drain gas from lawnmowers.
Service or tune-up snow blowers.
Replace worn rakes and snow shovels.
Clean, dry and store summer gardening equipment.
Sharpen ice choppers and buy bags of ice-melt / sand.
6) Check Foundations
Rake away all debris and edible vegetation from the foundation.
Seal up entry points to keep small animals from crawling under the house.
Tuckpoint or seal foundation cracks. Mice can slip through space as thin as a dime.
Inspect sill plates for dry rot or pest infestation.
Secure crawlspace entrances.
7) Install Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Some cities require a smoke detector in every room.
Buy extra smoke detector batteries and change them when daylight savings ends.
Install a carbon monoxide detector near your furnace and / or water heater.
Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to make sure they work.
Buy a fire extinguisher or replace an extinguisher older than 10 years.
8.) Prevent Plumbing Freezes
Locate your water main in the event you need to shut it off in an emergency.
Drain all garden hoses.
Insulate exposed plumbing pipes.
Cover spiggots and faucets with insulation or insulating caps available at local hardware stores.
Drain air conditioner pipes and, if your AC has a water shut-off valve, turn it off.
If you go on vacation, leave the heat on, set to at least 55 degrees.
9) Prepare Landscaping & Outdoor Surfaces
Trim trees if branches hang too close to the house or electrical wires.
Ask a gardener when your trees should be pruned to prevent winter injury.
Plant spring flower bulbs and lift bulbs that cannot winter over such as dahlias in areas where the ground freezes.
Seal driveways, brick patios and wood decks.
Don’t automatically remove dead vegetation from gardens as some provide attractive scenery in an otherwise dreary, snow-drenched yard.
Move sensitive potted plants indoors or to a sheltered area.
10) Prepare an Emergency Kit
Buy indoor candles and matches / lighter for use during a power shortage.
Find the phone numbers for your utility companies and tape them near your phone or inside the phone book.
Buy a battery back-up to protect your computer and sensitive electronic equipment.
Store extra bottled water and non-perishable food supplies (including pet food, if you have a pet), blankets and a first-aid kit in a dry and easy-to-access location.
Prepare an evacuation plan in the event of an emergency.
Hi Everyone, this is a note for those who use their Lilac Park homes as rentals. I know, there’s only a month left in the pool season, but we needed to get this done sooner than later.
There is a new “Tenant Authorization Form” under the Pool section of the web site. If you use your cabin as a rental, particularly a short-term rental, please use this form to generate the printed authorization for them to use the pool. The info this form collects is sent to the board, the pool attendants, and to you. Once the form is completed, you’ll get an authorization via e-mail right away. This will make it easy to send the authorization to your short-term tenants via e-mail, which they will print and take with them.
If your place is a long-term rental and you have existing month-to-month tenants, please complete the form as soon as you can so we can update our records.
To fill the vacancy left by Frank Samuelson’s delayed recovery from a fall last year, the ALPHA Board of Directors has named Mark Carlson as President of the Board.
Many of you are aware that Frank Samuelson, ALPHA’s President for the last several years, was injured in a fall at his cabin here in Lilac Park last September.
The fall Equinox is a good time of year to start thinking about preparing your home for winter, because as temperatures begin to dip, your home will require maintenance to keep it in tip-top shape through the winter.