In order to maximize our productivity, the Board of Directors has decided to change the format of our monthly Board meetings.  Previously, we began our meetings with "Open Forum", which is any resident’s chance to address the Board on an issue. However, beginning with our May 2002 meeting, we’re going to move "Open Forum" to 7:30 p.m. During "Open Forum" homeowners can briefly state their concerns or offer suggestions. The Board listens, but does not always take immediate action, depending upon the complexity of an issue, or the need for additional information. We are now holding our meetings on the 4th Tuesday of each month.  We’ll begin at 6:00 p.m. with our normal order of business.  Hopefully, we’ll be able to power our way through that in and hour and a half, and be ready for "Open Forum" at 7:30 p.m. Of course, our meetings are always open to the public, so if you’d like to sit and observe, feel free to join us at 6:00 p.m.

Just a friendly reminder that our next quarterly assessment is due May 1, 2002. You should be receiving the new coupon book and envelopes any day. Please write a $127 check made payable to Stratford Lakes Master, include the first payment coupon, and mail it all in the envelope provided.

Contact Your Board via email:
Bert Farin, President westmed@cmconline.com
Tom Acres, Vice President acresgreen@earthlink.net
Paul Grindle, Secretary/Treasurer pgrindle@hotmail.com
Sue Sherrill, Manager— ssherrill@managementspecialists.com

Just a few thoughts after the summer season…

Pond Aerator: I think all would agree the aerator on pond 3 succeeded beyond our highest expectations. The installer, Anthony Smith of Quality Water Bio, said that we’d notice a reduction in pond odor this summer, but it wouldn’t reach peak effectiveness until the aerator has been running continuously for a year. Maybe your sense of smell is more acute than mine, but I’m willing to say that the pond odors are already eliminated. I’m totally satisfied with this project. 

Pool: I’m happy to report another successful pool season. We started off on the wrong foot, by having to replace both the kiddie pool heater and the big pool pump within the first week of operation, but after that, the mechanical systems ran well. Best of all, we had another year of excellent lifeguard service from Crystalline Pool Service. Thanks again to Brad White and his lifeguards. As pool insurance liability continues to soar, I’m happy to report an incident free year. Every year we dodge a bullet on that issue.

Grounds: I think the grounds are looking excellent, which is a combination of a lot of volunteer work and the fact that our landscaper, Lawns Express, has had a second year to learn our systems and our needs. To be sure, there is room for improvement, but we’re definitely on the right track. The Board has rehired Lawns Express as our landscaper for 2002.

Waterfall: The waterfall is definitely dead. After I told you the waterfall was kaput in our last newsletter, we had a number of residents ask us to make another effort before we gave up entirely. Well, we spent another few hundred dollars to repair the line, ran it for a few days and it promptly developed severe cracks in the line. That’s it, we give up. We received an estimate that it would cost $7-8,000 on plumbing, plus who knows how much to repair the rock wall and basin structure itself. We like the waterfall and wish we could keep it, but we cannot support spending tens of thousands of dollars on it.

Landscape Committee Projects 

The Board of Directors wishes to publicly thank Joan Newton and her band of dedicated volunteers for their efforts at improving our neighborhood landscape. Over the past 5 years or so, our efforts could best be described as "benign neglect". Frankly, it’s a wonder things looked as good as they did for the lack of attention that had been paid to our landscaping. But, thanks to the efforts of many volunteers, the landscape is looking great again.  In case you hadn’t noticed, we planted 9 new trees and 19 shrubs in late September mostly along 112th Avenue, Stratford Lakes Drive and near the ponds. Additionally, two homeowners adjacent to ponds 2 and 3 paid separately for four new trees planted in the common space behind their homes. Special thanks to Joan and Chuck Newton and Kim Graeve who worked on the two entrances the weekend of September 15-16. That weekend was designated as a "volunteer weekend", but everyone seemed to be in a funk after the terrorist attacks, so they ended up doing it alone. You didn’t get help, but we noticed, and we thank you.

The next time you notice a burned-out street light, don’t call Sue Sherrill or a board member. Instead, call Xcel Energy at 303/623-1234. Xcel is responsible for all the street lights within the neighborhood. The only exceptions are the 6 lights around pond 1 and the east side of pond 2 that were installed by US Bank. If one of those lights is out, please contact community manager, Sue Sherrill.  You’ll need to provide the nearest street address and the number on the light pole. Word of warning…. don’t expect a particularly fast response by Xcel. They are supposed to respond within 3 weeks, but I’ve found that it can sometimes take much longer. They are pretty fast at posting a green tag that acknowledges the problem, but they sometimes forget to come back. Don’t give up. Just call again. As the saying goes, the squeaky wheel gets the grease..

Were you one of the people who called or emailed me the week of October 5th to complain about the big red trailer parked in front of a home on Julian near Stratford Lakes Drive? Thanks for your vigilance and yes, you are right, those big rig trailers are prohibited from parking on city streets. But don’t call me or Sue Sherrill.  Parking an 18 Wheel trailer on city streets is a violation of City of Westminster laws, so simply call the Police Department or Code Enforcement and file a complaint. As I wrote in a previous newsletter, you should normally file a complaint with Code Enforcement, which is manned Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Their number is 303/430-2400 ext. 2750. If the truck is parked over a weekend, you should call the non-emergency police dispatch number, 303/430-2400 ext. 2744, and ask to file a parking violation. An illegally parked truck is subject to a ticket, possible additional fine, and in cases of repeat offense, towing of the vehicle.

First, let me say that the vast majority of dog-owning residents are responsible and dutifully clean-up after their pets. But there are a few residents who have yet to learn that it’s required by City Law to clean-up after their pet has defecated in public areas.  I ran into a neighbor the other week walking his dog in the morning darkness. There was just enough light spilling from a nearby street light that I could see his dog hunched over in the process of relieving himself. I was shocked when he simply walked away and made no attempt to pick-up the poop. So I confronted him when he walked by and the conversation went something like this… Me. "I saw your dog pooping back there, but you didn’t pick it up. How come?"  Him. "Aw, it’s too dark these days. You can’t see it, to pick it up." Me. "You’re joking right? Just because it’s dark you don’t feel a responsibility to clean-up after your pet?" Him. "Well it’s not like I don’t feel responsible. You just can’t see it. I figure I’ll double back another time and get it." I thought to myself, "yeah, right", but this guy is an otherwise good guy and I didn’t want to get nasty, so I just pointed out to him that I, and other dog walkers like me, simply carry a small AA battery flashlight for just this reason. He took the advice good-naturedly and said he’d pick one up. We’ll see. And then a few days later, I saw a guy who had picked-up after his pet, but apparently didn’t feel like carrying the bag, so he tossed it down the storm drain in the curb. I couldn’t believe it, so I asked him if he knew where that trash ends up. He said he "thought it was a sewer". Huh? Did he really think there are open sewer lines in the community? He seemed apologetic after learning that the trash thrown down a storm drain opening eventually ends up in our ponds as trash. He said he’d stop and we can only hope so. So fellow dog walkers, the moral of these stories are that we all need to do the right thing and clean-up after our pets and dispose of it properly. It’s the right thing to do. It’s the moral thing. And it’s the law. Please be considerate.

by Paul Grindle

As of May 1, 2002, there will be a late charge of $10 per month plus interest for any assessment accounts that are 15 days past due. The Association has agreed to a contract obligation with Management Specialists, Inc. to reimburse a flat fee of $10 for the paperwork necessary to send out the late notices. The Association Board has requested that these fees be passed on to the homeowners receiving the notices. A small interest fee of 1.5% will also continue to be charged to homeowners. So, don’t be late and save yourself some money!

Interesting fact…Did you know there are 189 Home Owner Association communities within the City? Surprised me too. In October, I attended a meeting sponsored by the City of Westminster (COW) to discuss a wide variety of issues. Bill Kalous of Brittany Ridge and Bill Nordberg of Brittany Terrace were also in attendance, so our neighborhood was pretty well represented. Here’sa few highlights… 

Development Activity—The extension of Federal Blvd. north of 120 th Ave. up to the intersection of128 th and Zuni will be called Federal Parkway.  Should be done next year. COW and Thornton are working with Colorado Department of Transportation on planning a new interchange at 136th Ave and I-25. Work should begin in 2003, with completion in 2004. Due to office glut and the slowing economy, COW does not expect any new office space to be built along the Hwy 36 corridor for another 2-3 years. However, there are some plans that have already been submitted, which will continue through the approval process, so they’ll be ready to go, when the economy turns around.

The same can be said for commercial projects.  Interestingly, there hasn’t been any slowdown on

residential housing applications. Ever notice that Holly Park development near 96th and Federal that seems to be stuck in a half-finished time warp? COW has been frustrated by those developers who have fouled it up five ways to Friday. City Staff is hopeful that they’ll see some progress soon, and if not, there are legal actions they can pursue.

Traffic Mitigation˜— COW has been working with a number of neighborhoods over the past 2 ½ years to control speeding on residential streets. City Staff is hopeful that the City Council will dedicate $400-500,000 for traffic calming devices. Have you seen the test devices installed in the NorthPark neighborhood? Apparently, they’ve worked well, but they’re still studying their effectiveness. The widening of 112th between Stuart and Sheridan should be underway by the time you receive this. There will be periodic brief closures, but the street should remain open throughout the process. The bridge across Big Dry Creek, is a huge complicating factor and adds greatly to the cost. COW is planning to construct a clover loop exit off Hwy 36 directly on to westbound 92 nd Ave. According to COW statistics, 60% of the drivers who exit at Sheridan, end up turning left at 92 nd Ave, which creates a huge traffic jam and numerous accidents as drivers weave all the way across Sheridan to get into the left turn lane. COW considers the Hwy 36 corridor our major "lifeline" and as such it has received a preponderance of attention and is due for major improvements. You may have heard of the study conducted jointly by neighboring cities and counties which will include commuter rail, bus rapid transit stations in the median and bikeways. Obviously, it’s a huge project and the study alone will take several years.

Emergency Management Strategy—˜ Long before the terrorist attacks, the COW hired an Emergency Manager, Mike Reddy, who has been working with citizens, businesses and government agencies to develop plans for the "unthinkable" type of emergency, along with less dramatic situations. Mike said their plan includes the following 4 steps:

1. Prepare for the "unexpected".
2. Mitigate against potential hazards.
3. Improve coordinated response.
4. Develop skills to recover from major incidents and disasters

Cruising/Drag Racing— Cruising isn’t a problem for us, but it is a big headache for residents in thearea of Wadsworth between 88 th and 92 nd . COW is spending $3,000 on overtime police  wages each weekend during the summer months. Fortunately, they’ve been writing tickets like crazy, so it’s kind of a wash, but it’s a big strain on their staff. Thought cruising was for high school kids only? Me too, but there is one guy in his forties who reputedly cruises in a Winnebago! Everybody gets older, but I guess some people never grow up.  Actually, a part of me, says "Way to go dude, hang in there". Drag racing is a growing problem and one that hits closer to us. Apparently there was a recent movie entitled "Fast and Furious," whichhas rekindled teens’ obsession with street racing.  Even worse, Pecos between 112th and 120th is a preferred location. I try to be open-minded to kids, but drag racing on a residential street, even at 2 a.m., is not acceptable, and I hope the Police crack down hard on these boy racers.

Meth Labs— This is a huge problem that gets worse each year. One unlucky guy at the meeting lives in the Hidden Lake neighborhood and said that his neighbor has been arrested 3 times in the past year for cooking meth, but somehow keeps getting released and goes back into business. He didn’t go into detail, but I can’t understand how that’s possible. Nevertheless, he now lives next to a declared "Hazmat" area. Oh, that’s gotta hurt property values. COW Police busted 150 methamphetamine labs last year, yet estimate that represents only 1/10 th of the total. Wow. Did you know that the ingredients to manufacture meth can be purchased at any hardware store? That’swhat makes it so difficult to control. Most disturbingly, for every pound of meth that is produced, there are seven pounds of hazardous material produced. This by-product is so volatile and so deadly that entire blocks have to be evacuated while a site is decontaminated. Better hope your neighbor or your kids never open a lab.

I confirmed with our trash company, Complete Disposal, that they will pick up our trash on our normal Monday schedule on December 24th and 31st . I wanted to remind you that in accordance with our community rules, all trash must be in sealed plastic bags, or in trash cans with attached lids. Complete Disposal is very good about putting trash lids back on after they empty your trash, so please don’t be afraid to use your trash lids.  If you’re new to the neighborhood, you’ll soon learn about our windy Westminster winters. Which underscores the necessity to keep your trash contained. All it takes is compliance with the rules and a little consideration on everyone’s part and we can keep the neighborhood looking nice and clean. 

If you would like to recycle Christmas cardboard boxes, you can take them to the Broomfield Recycle Center at Nickel and Industrial Lane. If you would like to recycle styrofoam packing peanuts, you can take them to pack and ship type stores. Most will gladly take them off your hands. If you just want to throw them out, please make sure they’re in a tightly sealed container, or they’ll just blow all around the neighborhood.

In the last newsletter, I told you that our Declarations permit a resident to place one, and only one, "for sale" sign in the front yard of their homes. After that article was published, I received two calls, one from a resident, and another from a realtor, complaining that we weren’t being fair, because we allow the developers of Brittany Ridge Townhomes to put up more than one sign on the townhomes by pond 1. It’s not that we’re being unfair or discriminatory, it’s just that our Declarations permit "declarants" to put up whatever signs they want. A "declarant" is a fancy word for developer. And just like politicians who write laws that apply to everyone but themselves, developers write Declarations that specifically exempt themselves. It’s not right, it’s not fair, but there is nothing we can do. That is, until they sell their last unit, at which time we’ll tell them to immediately remove all their signs, especially the ones at the entrances. Better yet, let’s smash them up for charity. Say, $1 a whack? I’d pay $10 myself.

In mid-October Whirlpool announced a safety recall on certain models of microwave/range hood  combination units, due to the risk of fire. If you own a unit that was purchased and installed between January 1998 and September 2001, it may be subject to the recall. This affects Whirlpool, KitchenAid and Kenmore brand microwave-hood units that have serial numbers that begin with XC. Open the door of your microwave to locate the serial and model numbers. If your unit’s serial number begins with XC, stop using it immediately. Unplug the unit and contact the Whirlpool Corporation at 1-800-785-8897. You may also visit the Whirlpool website at http://www.repair.whirlpool.com

Countertop microwave units are not affected by this recall.

For the past two years, the Board of Directors has been receiving expert financial advice from resident Bill Kalous.  Speaking on behalf of the other board members, I want to say "thanks" for your dedication and timely advice. It was as if we had our own resident financial advisor keeping us on track.

Last newsletter I told you about vandals who had driven their vehicles down the dam between ponds 2 and 3 and around the banks of those same ponds. That time, they had merely left dead grass and deep ruts. I’m sorry to say that these idiots have upped the ante. On the evening of October 15th, someone apparently tried to drive up the dam, lost control and ending up rolling backwards and knocking down a 10’ pine tree that was near the two wood benches. Damn, now I’m really angry.

Once again, I filed a complaint with the Police Department (case number 0114915). They offered to increase their drive-by patrols, but there is little likelihood that they will be caught, unless residents happen to catch them in the act. If you notice suspicious activity, and I would say that anyone driving around the ponds after dark is suspicious, I urge you to immediately call the Police and report a crime in progress. Their 24 hour number is 303/430-2400 ext 2744.

Have you noticed that construction of the new Stratford Lakes Park is underway? The City of Westminster intends to sod the field, which means that it will start looking like a park as soon as the sod is laid. Depending on when the sod goes down, the fields may be playable as the grass could be dormant, but it’s probably best for the overall health of the turf if people avoid walking on the grass on all but the warmest days this winter.  On the other hand, if we have a snowy winter, and the grass is covered with snow, I’ll be the first one out there sliding down the hillside. C’mon Mother Nature, let it happen. No matter the weather, the playground equipment and all of the courts will definitely be available, so have fun. No word yet on if, or when, the City plans to hold a ribbon cutting ceremony, but I’ll definitely let you know.

by Kim Graeve, Landscape Committee Member

The Landscape Committee would like to thank all of the volunteers who helped in the recent improvements to the common spaces and entrances. New trees were planted along 112th and in the areas around some of the ponds. Joan Newton organized most of the new improvements. We also have new juniper bushes at the Federal entrance and around the community. LaVonne James and Bob Wallace helped to plant 50 tulip bulbs at the West 112th Street entrance. Tracy Spalding marked all the dead trees that needed to be pulled or replaced and we thank her for walking the whole neighborhood and completing the big job. Thank you to all the residences that donated their water for some of the plantings and to everyone who helped. Thanks again from the Landscape Committee

Sue Sherrill, our community manager, said that she would like to hear from any kids who have received babysitter certification and would like to offer their services to residents. As you may recall, last year we asked local kids to register with Sue and had a great response. Unfortunately, many of those kids moved away, or are no longer available. But Sue keeps getting requests from residents looking for babysitters. So sign up and start earning some cash. If any local kids would like to offer babysitter services, please send your name, address and phone number to Sue Sherrill via email. Her address is ssherrill@managementspecialists.com

Our 2002 Master and Recreation budgets have been approved by the Board of Directors. In addition to our regular line item issues, we have approved the following projects, which are being funded from our reserve accounts. We’ll spend $32,000 on a water tap to the City of Westminster recycled water line, which will provided needed irrigation water during times of extended drought. As you know, our normal supply of irrigation water is the Farmers’ Highline Canal. And that will continue, but we have been warned that if we enter a period of extended drought, the Canal may be shut off. If that were to happen, we would have no way of watering our irrigated plant life. All our trees, shrubs and grass would simply whither and die. Obviously, no one wants to see that happen, so we must prepare for that scenario. Consider this an insurance policy. Hopefully, we’ll never have to put this plan into practice, but we feel better knowing that we’ll at least be able to keep our plant material alive during times of extended drought. We’re committed to improving the grounds and have thus dedicated $12,000 for a variety of landscape projects proposed by Joan Newton and her Landscape Committee. We’ll also budget $12,000 for repairs to our aging irrigation system. We won’t spend it ifwe don’t have to, but we’ll know that the money is available if we suffer serious damage to the system. Also from the reserves, we’ll budget $1,300 to paint the wrought iron fence at the pool, $3,000 for additional Clubhouse furnishings and window coverings, and $5,000 to paint the Clubhouse interior and make repairs to the bathrooms. Finally, I want to address our monthly assessments. A few people have asked me, "With the addition of the new homes and townhomes, is the Board going to lower our monthly assessments?" The answer, for the immediate future, is no. Our Declarations limit our assessment increase to the annual CPI rate of inflation, which for the past few years has been running at a scant 2-3%. The problem is that the CPI measures common consumer goods, such as eggs, milk, clothing. But most of our expenses are for services, such as landscaping, lifeguarding, trash hauling and management, which tend to increase higher than consumer goods. Which means for the past 3-4 years, even though we’ve raised assessments, we’ve lost ground against inflation. Accordingly, we’ll raise the quarterly Master assessment $2, and raise the Recreation assessment another $2.

Your Board of Directors has authorized Management Specialists, Inc. to offer all of Stratford Lakes Master and Recreational Association homeowners this convenient new service of Direct Withdrawal for quarterly assessment payments. If this is a service you would like to have, please fill out the enclosed form and mail it back to Management Specialists, Inc. If you have any questions in regards to direct withdrawal services, please contact Management Specialists, Inc. at 303-420-4433.

He Lost 402 Pounds 

Have you seen that stupid brochure affixed to mailboxes within the community? The inference being if he could lose 402 pounds, it should be easy for you to lose 20 or so. Puhleeze. Maybe it works and maybe it doesn’t, but I wish the idiots who plaster them on our mailboxes would heed our notice that we do not permit soliciting or handbills within the community. It doesn’t matter if it’s weight loss, affordable insurance, or whatever. Those flyers are prohibited. If you see one attached to your mailbox, please remove it as soon as possible. We need to send the messagethat do not tolerate this form of advertising. I realize the people who post them will never quit, but neither should we.

Surely you have noticed the red stickers on the mailboxes warning residents about mail theft. I received a suggestion from resident Chris Wood that offers timely advice. Apparently, there have been problems with mail theft lately. I have noticed that the mailboxes are in a state of disrepair, and some are even getting to the point of being easily op ened. My wife mentioned that the door on our mailbox seemed very loose, so I investigated and found that the locking mechanism w as about to fall off! Homeowners need to tighten the nut that holds the locking bar on their mailbox top revent the door from opening up for thieves. Ours was so loose that a little bit of jiggling would have caused the nut to fall off. Easy and quick. Chris Wood

Thanks Chris. I appreciate your suggestion and urge residents to take a look at their individual mail box to see if this repair would improve your s e c u r i t y .