View - redfoxcove.org
Transcription
View - redfoxcove.org
Red Fox Volume 38 Tale No. 5 Winter 2013 Call for Board Members Want to make a difference, build a stronger community…here’s your opportunity. Become a member of the Red Fox Cove Homeowners Association Board of Directors. Three twoyear term positions are up for election in April 2014. The Board meets monthly, except for December. It’s approximately a five hour per month commitment. Homeowners are encouraged to serve on the board. It’s the best way to get to know your neighbors. If you want to be more involved in helping manage the Association, consider running for the Board. All are welcome and encouraged – old and new residents! If it weren’t for the volunteers, Red Fox Cove wouldn’t exist the way it does today! All the volunteers are what keeps this neighborhood beautiful, close knit, and the dues at a minimum. If you have never served on the Board, why don't you consider it this upcoming election. If it’s been some time since you’ve served, maybe a fresh perspective is what you could contribute. Do you have an interest or talent for finance? The treasurer position currently held by Rob Tryon will be available. Rob can be contacted directly if you have questions about the treasurer responsibilities. If you are interested in running for the Board and would like to discuss further, please contact any of the current board members. All contact information is located on the back cover of the Tale. 1 On The Horizon December - No Board Meeting. December 25 - Merry Christmas. January 1 - Happy New Year. January 14 - Board meeting at 7:00 pm. Tryon 11325 February 11 - Board meeting at 7:00 pm. Berglund 11231 March 11 - Board meeting at 7:00 pm. Bakken 11811 April 8 - Annual meeting. Chocolate Chews Recipe by Pam Kummer This recipe comes from Joseph’s Grandma Gwen. She would make these yummy melt-in-your-mouth chocolate chews every year during the holidays and it was one of his favorites. She would always sneak him extra when his parents weren’t looking. The recipe card is hand written and has yellowed with age. It’s splattered with cookie dough and thumbprints. The recipe card holds many years of a Grandma’s love for her grandson. They have a very special relationship that warms your heart. I am so blessed that she has entrusted this recipe with me. 2 Squares Bakers Chocolate (melted) or 6 Tbsp Bakers Cocoa + 3 tsp Shortening 1 2/3 C Sugar ½ C Shortening 2 C Flour ½ tsp Salt 2 Eggs 2 tsp Vanilla 2 tsp Baking Powder 1/3 C Milk ½ C Walnuts (optional) Powdered Sugar Mix sugar and shortening until blended. Add melted chocolate and mix until combined. Add remaining ingredients and mix. Place dough in a bowl, cover, and put in fridge to cool (about 2 hours). Remove dough from refrigerator and form into balls a little smaller than a golf ball. Roll in powdered sugar. Bake 13 – 15 minutes at 350°. 2 The Winter Blues Yet again, we are socked in for another eternity of winter. Things usually quiet down here in the Cove for the duration of the season until the sun gets a bit higher in the sky and melts some of the white treasure away. A few items to remind ourselves about during these long cold months has to do with the inevitable snow we receive every year. We live in Minnesota, what can one expect? One of the benefits of living in Red Fox Cove is that our streets and driveways are plowed by professionals. This is an excellent amenity covered by the dues we pay each month. Although it may be covered under the dues, there are still a few things to keep in mind as we huddle in for the next four months. If everyone works together, and understands the benefits, we’ll make it through yet another Minnesota winter. Be mindful that the snow on your driveway may be pushed on to your lawn. Some areas of the Cove simply cannot accommodate extra snow in the streets or up the curbs due to the way the lots are designed. Putting stakes up and down the driveway will not guarantee snow won’t be pushed up on to the lawn. This makes it very difficult for the snow contractor to do a good job for you and your neighbor if they don’t place snow where they can. Some damage will occur. This is normal for any winter in our state. Grass will be scraped, sod will be removed, but every effort is made to minimize the damage. In the spring, if you return the sod back to it’s original spot early, it will simply fill in and disappear. The Board also makes visits throughout the Cove in the Spring to see if there was any curb or driveway damage that would be considered above normal wear and tear. You cannot expect the snow plow to keep a driveway that is thirty years old intact when they scrape the driveway. Especially if the old asphalt is broken and crumbled already. Again, the contractors are professionals, and will make good on damages that occur that could have been avoided. Each case is looked at on an individual basis. Please contact the Common Grounds Chair to help in determining the extent and cause of the damage come April. Watch out for the fire hydrants. Maple Grove encourages residents to adopt a hydrant in the winter. Keeping a path up to and around the hydrant could save precious minutes of time in the event of a fire. Look outside your window. If you have a hydrant in your yard, would you be willing to adopt it for the season? It could save lives. There are salt/sand barrels at the entrances to the Cove. These are for your convenience to use to help you climb the hill if the need arises. Let a Board member know if they get low. Lastly, drive slow. Children are out playing, people still walk their dogs, and daylight is at an all time low. Roads are slick and snow covered. Watch out for each other. The mailboxes all now face the street, so picking up your mail means you have your back toward the on-coming traffic. Watch for each other to avoid accidents. Before you know it, it’ll be 95 degrees out, and we’ll be complaining about the humidity again. Sure seams like a long ways off. Using these tips should help all of us in the Cove not only stay safe, but keep snow removal costs and damages to a minimum. 3 4 Maybe twenty, maybe more, but it was time for an update on the street signs. Brought up last year at the Annual Meeting, the Board took notice and explored the possibility of installing new street signs. The first phase is complete. We now have four new numbered signs that mark the entrances of the cul de sacs. They are highly reflectorized, proportionately sized, and a proper color to blend in with the rest of the community. Many thanks to Eric Berglund and Joseph Kummer for installing the posts one Sunday afternoon, and thanks to Marv Conyers and Joseph & Pam Kummer for pulling out the old ones. A couple of them took a truck with chains to get out of the ground! There are still a couple more to pull out at the main entrances, and the Board is still looking into a monument sign for the Hemlock entrance, but hasn’t found anything that would be in budget, and still look good. In any case, the new signs will help with guests coming in to find their way, along with emergency service vehicles, and the all important pizza delivery driver so the pies don’t get cold trying to find the correct house number. Architectural & Community Standards Committee update After months of meetings, the Architectural & Community Standards Committee has hammered their way through each individual Standard and made suggestions on updating them to better suit the needs of the Cove in the 21st century. From here, they are being worded properly, and will be reviewed one more time by the Committee for any last changes to reflect the said intentions of them. Once that is complete, it will move to the Board for review and approval. Although there were few changes, each line item was discussed, and decided upon as a group. There was a great cross section of residents on this Committee which helped bring new ideas to the table as well as explain why certain standards were there all along. A special thanks to all the participants that volunteered their time in this monumental task.. Committee members included; Eric Berglund, Craig Romans, Pam Paulsen, Paul and Cheryl Boehmer, Joseph Kummer, Bill Beaupre, Mavis Bakken, and the late Phil Jandl. Many thanks to each and every one. 5 2013 Maple Grove Moments Photography Winner Rich Moll captured another award winning photograph this year at the annual 4th of July Celebration here in the Cove. If you remember, the fire truck almost didn’t make it due to an emergency right here in the neighborhood! With Maple Grove’s dedication, and Rich Moll’s creative talent, we get to enjoy a perfect summer moment. Congratulations Rich!! “One Day I’ll Fit Into Those Gloves” First Prize, Going Strong category Find the tail... The Summer issue of the Tale proved to be a stumper for the residents in Red Fox Cove. No one wrote to say they were able to find it in the edition. As a recap, there is a hidden tail somewhere in each issue. It could be anywhere. The last Tale had the tail on page 15 in the midst of the storm damage photos. A fox tail like the one pictured on the left is somewhere in this Tale. Have some fun with the winter blues and see if you can find it! We will put the names in a hat, and draw out one random winner for a fabulous prize. Submit where you think the location of the tail is to taleeditor@redfoxcove.org Prior to the publication of the next Red Fox Tale, and your name could be drawn at random from everyone that had the correct answer. Good luck and happy hunting! 6 Phil Jandl Red Fox Cove lost a very dear friend to the community this fall. Phil Jandl, 11821, passed away on October 19, 2013 after a brief battle with cancer. Phil was well known throughout the Cove for his quick wit, willingness to help anyone in need, and volunteering to make the Cove a more beautiful place to live. Phil served on the Board as the Archi- tectural Committee Chair, and was seen at every clean up day, every event, and most often behind the scenes hunched over pull- ing some weed or hacking away at the Buck- thorn scourge. You could walk down to the pool and see his handiwork with the concrete patching around the pool and in the basin, or down at the dock either fixing it, or getting rid of some noxious plant growth so we could all enjoy Mother Nature. He would dish out ice cream to the little ones, and little big ones at the National Night Out, and serve chicken at the picnic on the 4th of July. If you needed something, he was there, always, making sure the tables were set up, the decorations were in place, or the path was clear of limbs and debris. His friendly presence in our neighborhood will be felt with all the projects completed by him. Everyone was impacted by him just from the simple task of shoveling out the mailboxes each time it snowed. If it had to get done, he just did it. He will be sorely missed. A memorial fund has been set up to erect a bench in his memory to be installed somewhere in the Cove next summer. Donations can by made to Laura Kruth (11354) who has graciously volunteered to head this project. Jandl, Phil age 69, of Maple Grove, passed away of cancer on 10/19/13 surrounded by his children. He touched many lives with his generosity and friendship. Preceded in death by father, Frank; and wife, Mary Jane. Survived by son, Greg (Gail) daughter, Jennifer Witherspoon, and their mother, Eleanor; grandchildren, Ian and Halle; mother, Regina; siblings, Terry (Don) Hoffman, Helen (Larry) Black, Barb Wenisch, Tom, Carol (Stan) Beckstrom, Steve (Barb), Jan Van Eps, Louise (Dan) Noble, Jerry (Chris), Mary (Ross) Rieke and Mike; special friend and companion, Mavis Bakken; many other family and friends. Wrestling was an important part of his life. He was inducted into the SCSU Athletic Hall of Fame for wrestling and was for many years a Gopher wrestling season ticket holder. In lieu of flowers, memorials preferred. Interment Glen Haven Memorial Gardens. Visitation Friday 4-7 PM. Service Saturday 10:30 AM, with visitation one hour prior, all at: www.Washburn-McReavy.com Glen Haven Chapel 763-533-8643 5125 W. Broadway, Crystal Published in Star Tribune on October 22, 2013 7 Red Fox Cove Fall Cleanup The annual Fall clean up was held on October 12th after being postponed from October 5th due to wet conditions. About fourteen residents joined together to undertake several needed projects. The wind storm on June 20th took down many large branches and uprooted numerous trees in the Cove. The amount of wood that needed to be chipped was significantly more than in previous years so it was good to have many volunteers to help with that task. Wood was chipped in five areas where Red Fox Cove suffered extensive damage. Piles of branches were chipped near the pool and playground, behind 11600, near the dock, and behind homes in the 11664 – 11680 area, and finally on common ground near 11301. As a result of all of the chipping, there was a huge amount of woodchip material available, which was used to cover and upgrade two trails. Brad! Get your hand out of there, it’s not that bad! I man... like loud noise... smelly machine... make me feel macho... pick up log... feed machine... work well... Overall, it was a successful workday. It was cool, but ideal for working outdoors. Thank you to the following volunteers for your great help; Eric Berglund, Alberto Catarino, Marv Conyers, Brad Feuk, Rick Fischer, Earl Gulczinski, Jeremy Harincar, Matt Haupt, Vadim Mirkin, Lynn Merkwan, Irina Petrokova, Mrs. Petrokova, Rob Tryon, and Lindy. If anyone was missed, we sincerely apologize and thank you as well. More was accomplished than anyone had expected. The day was finished at 2:45 pm. Tired, but with the feeling of a job well done. Raindrops started to fall again at 3:00 pm…whew, we made it! And you thought it was all man’s work! 8 SPOOKY WALK Rainy weather threatened to cancel the spooky walk, but the ghosts, ghouls, and goblins prevailed and made an appearance on Saturday, October 19th. Despite the weather, there were 74 people in attendance. Numerous volunteers helped to make this year’s event a success. A posse of people made an assembly line in Mavis’ home. Bill Kuras retrieved the boxes from the crawl space, handed them off to Joann Hansen who passed them to Pam Paulsen. Sue Petty and Mavis took the boxes from Pam and carried them up the stairs to the front door. From there, the decorations were loaded into Sue and Pam’s vehicles and delivered to the lake where 13 Girl Scouts were waiting. The volunteer Girl Scouts enjoyed the task of decorating. They had a great time performing short skits during the trail walk. A ‘fortune teller’ was onsite too. The children had a wonderful time…and so did the adults. Many thanks to Marv for mowing weeds, hauling woodchips to the trail walk, and chopping wood for the bonfire. Joe Pickar helped retrieve tables from the pool house and deliver them to the lakefront. Kelly brought items too. Joann Hansen grilled the hot dogs and placed them in crockpots. The Spooky walk would not have been a success without the generous giving of time and talents by the residents of Red Fox Cove. 9 Tales from old… Excerpts from past issues of the Red Fox Tale 5 years ago 2009… As a reminder, the NEW single sort recycling will begin in February... 10 years ago 2004… The Board approves $16400.00 for new tile around the pool to be completed this summer… Dues were raised to $60.00... 25 years ago 1989… A motion to accept approval of rental of a safe deposit box at Norwest Bank… The printer used for the Red Fox Tale needs to be repaired at a cost of $122.00... 10 The Toolbox With the new year fast approaching, what better time is there to make a few adjustments to your maintenance schedule and start the new year off more organized, and better apt to keep your home in the best possible condition both for you, your neighbors, and visitors. Every so often, I’ll share a short article on home improvement tips. If you have a tip, or a topic that you would like addressed, drop a line to taleeditor@redfoxcove.org Here are my top ten tools to be more efficient and organized throughout the new year. Use a calendar. Every office supply store has them for half off right now. Get one you can write lots of notes in. When you have an actual calendar you can hang on to, you can carry it with you and jot down notes as they come up rather than waiting until you can pull out your phone, PDA, or sit in front of a computer. There are even aps on your smartphone that utilize a calendar feature. Use a computer. Yes, sounds like a contradiction from the first tool. Using a program such as Outlook, or an online calendar, can help remind yourself of important events that are up and coming. Changing batteries or filters, a drain cleaning, or gutter cleaning. It also gives you date stamps so there is no question if the need should arise when you chore the tasks off on the kids. Get a camera. Sometimes, you can’t write a thousand words fast enough to describe what you’re looking at. That’s what pictures are for. Better yet, most phones, and digital cameras even have video on them. Use it often, and the shutter button is your friend. An organized folder in your computer or phone will make trying to remember that brand of filter you need, or a model or serial number. Start maintenance programs. It’s the first of the year. If you have never put your home on a maintenance schedule, now is the time. A regular diet of visits and viewing the condition of your home, winterization, preventative maintenance, improvements, upgrades, and modernization. Set those in your calendar, and stick to them. Put some money away. Probably the hardest thing to accomplish and the one tool that is most scarce. Starting a savings account for those big ticket items like carpet, furnaces, appliances, and cabinets. When the emergency arises, you’ll have the stash to cushion the blow. Safety first. More important than just preventative maintenance. Making your home as safe as possible to avoid accidents and/or insurance claims. Items like smoke alarms and peeling paint need to be addressed... yesterday. Doing a safety inspection can save you money, headaches, and lawsuits down the road. Make more time. Let’s face it. We are all strapped for it. Sometimes, this tool is even harder to find than money. There is never enough of the precious commodity in today’s world. Even a simple walk around the house can tell you a lot on how your home is being kept up. Keeping in touch with the family members on little maintenance items can save thousands down the road. Look through your tools. You know that screwdriver you broke last July? Or the three drill bits you lost when the case fell out on to the ground? Have you replaced them yet? How many times are you under the sink, and by the time you’re done, you’re frustrated it took as long as it did, and you throw everything in the bucket and leave. It’s time to take all those tools and get them organized again. Everything in its place, and knowing it’s there. Have a supply stash. Much the same as your tools. It doesn’t hurt to replenish that material list you should have. It saves trips to the store, shortens the time spent disrupting your leisure time, and works very well in emergencies when the store is closed. Educate your family. Our most overlooked asset in maintaining the property is the residents themselves. Go through the home on a regular basis teaching them and showing them what to do in case of an emergency, demonstrating how things work, where things are, and how it operates will keep your house from more damage, and help you strengthen your family unit by spending quality time with each other. 11 Red Fox Cove Board Meeting Minutes September 10, 2013 Present: Joseph Kummer, Rob Tyron, Eric Berglund, Earl Gulczinski, Pam Kummer, Paul Berndt Opening Notes Meeting called to order at 7:07 pm. Committee Reports Social Events/Community Affairs Spooky Walk is scheduled for October 26, 2013 Mavis was absent no report. Finances Rob reviewed the August 2013 financial reports. RFC is on budget overall with costs for the summer season. Because of the drought there was less mowing of the common grounds and had a little reduction in costs. Motion made by Rob second by Eric to approve August financials, motion passed unanimous. Common Grounds Earl reported the following: The swing in the playground has been repaired. The dock has been repaired. Weed killer was applied to some weeds on the center islands Sweeping was done and the rock was swept up on the streets. Eric will be working on the canoe storage sometime in the future. Fire Hydrant maintenance including painting is scheduled by the city for 2014. Mailboxes are proceeding/ progressing with new keys and future install sometime this fall. There was a short discussion about attaching RFC notices to the mailboxes. Rob said nothing is supposed to be attached to the mailbox. Installing more weather proof kiosks will be explored. Earl will be following up and report to the board as to costs and numbers needed. Tree trimming and what to trim was discussed. Eric and Earl will mark and get ready for the October 5, 2013 cleanup. Joe discussed renting a U Haul for the October cleanup. Easy to clean and will work well when doing chipping. This is better than a trailer and will be easier to spread the chips in areas. Buckthorn problem can be worked on until the end of October. Fall cleanup date set for October 5, 2013 and alternative date of October 12, 2013 The refuse hauler for RFC will continue to pickup leaves at curbside until mid November. Architectural 11325 requested a color change and painting for home, approved. 11961 requested a fence but is still working with the city on this. Old Business Flag pole is coming for the north cul-de-sac. When completed there will be a future dedication ceremony. Joe said he will research reflectorized street signs and the costs and report back at a future board meeting. Rob and Eric continue to work on the documents of the by laws and covenants. New Business Eric brought up doing a property line survey for the common grounds however the board felt because of the cost it would be better to do this as needed. Closing Notes Meeting adjourned at 8:37 pm motion made by Paul second by Rob. 12 Red Fox Cove Board Meeting Minutes October 8, 2013 Present: Pam Kummer, Joseph Kummer, Mavis Bakken, Earl Gulczinski, Rob Tryon, Paul Berndt, Eric Berglund Opening Notes Old Business Meeting called to order at 7:02 pm. Committee Reports Social Events/Community Affairs Mavis said the Spooky Walk date was changed because of a lot of other community events going on in the community. The new date is October 19, 2013. Mavis will get the notices out for the date change to RFC. Finances Rob reviewed all the financials with the board and said we are on target for the budget. Rob said the accounting firm is currently working on our audit. A short discussion on the replacement fund was explained to new board members. The work on the basketball court this year was an example on how this fund is used. Rob reviewed past due accounts for the RFC. Rob continues to work with homeowners behind on their association dues. Motion made by Rob, second by Eric; to approve the September financial reports. Passed unanimous. New Business Common Grounds Earl is getting the equipment ready for the annual fall cleanup on October 12, 2013. This starts at 9 am at the basketball court area. Eric said he has been working on the canoe rack storage issue and now has an inventory. There are a few canoes that do not have current licenses on them. Residents are reminded that they must have a current license on their canoes. More reminders will be in the RFC Tale and in the yearly packets that are distributed in the spring. Architectural 11701 requested a color change. The home is to be painted. Joe said this request was approved. Eric is still working on getting the covenant documents from the county for all RFC properties to ensure RFC is up to date in our records. Discussion on covenant and bylaw documents and time table for completion of the architectural and community standards review was discussed. Target date of January or February 2014 was agreed to. This will allow the Architectural committee to present the new standards at the meeting. A property line question was discussed regarding the location of the Comcast cable line that runs behind the houses on the 11900 blk. A resident was concerned about possible damage to the cable line. Eric checked with Comcast and was told the cable line is not in danger and is well protected We will pursue a possible survey of the area to determine the location of the cable in relation to common ground. Joe finished his research on new reflectorized street signs for RFC and presented to the board his recommendations. The current signs are very old and are not reflectorized. The concern is that visitors and emergency personnel might have difficulty finding a house on the cul-de -sacs in the dark. These can be replaced at relatively low cost. Motion made by Pam, second by Eric to replace the current signs and posts at a total cost of about $400. Vote was unanimous. Motion approved. Joe finished his research on new kiosks for RFC mailbox locations. This will ensure RFC postings are protected from the weather and not be damaged. Also, it will end the practice of posting notices on the mailboxes, which is against Postal regulations. Some locations have old kiosks and these will be replaced. Motion made by Paul, second by Eric to approve up to $1,500.00 to purchase these. Earl abstained. Motion passed. Pam reported she is working on New Resident packets so RFC information is complete and up to date. Closing Notes Meeting adjourned at 9:06 pm. 13 Red Fox Cove Board Meeting Minutes November 12, 2013 Present: Pam Kummer, Joseph Kummer, Mavis Bakken, Earl Gulczinski, Rob Tryon, Paul Berndt The minutes for the November Board meeting will be available in the next edition of the Tale. 14 The back page... Many years ago, I began my career in the working world as a paper boy. Every morning, up at about four, no matter what the weather, year ‘round, to compliment everyone’s morning coffee. Right around Christmas, my brother and I would hope for the worst possible snow storm because the Christmas tips were directly proportional to how deep the snow was. Later, as I matured, I graduated to the world of being a milkman, and the same theory existed. Only, I had to get up at about midnight. In the between times, I had the opportunity to work on the farm, milking cows. I crowed at the rooster to get him out of bed. Unfortunately, the closest thing to a tip in the barn were the ladies kicking over the milk can. I’m getting to the point, really. The one thing all these jobs had in common, were that they all demanded I get up very early. I longed to be on the milk route Christmas morning, because there was a totally different atmosphere that can only be experienced. Not to mention the chief elf stopped by a few times and I would trade him milk for cookies. By the way, he’s partial to chocolate. The lights in the sparkling snow, the quietness, and just knowing that all was calm. The darkness of night was pierced every December, and it made for easier deliveries as the neighborhood paper boy. All these years have passed, and I only remember one thing getting up way too early. The gift of silence. Not just any silence. It was the holiday silence. It was the one thing I looked forward to every year. Going back centuries, even armies laid down their arms one day out of the year, and encased the earth in an austere silence. I still get up early to enjoy the quietness of the morning. This holiday season, I wish you the one memory during this busy time that brings about an inner peace to you, and your loved ones. zaphnathpaaneah May your holiday be filled with joy and peace. Merry Christmas 15 Red Fox Cove Board of Directors President Architectural & Community Standards Eric Berglund 763-559-0330 Joseph Kummer 612-735-2362 president@redfoxcove.org architect@redfoxcove.org Vice-President Common Grounds Pamela Kummer 612-986-5041 Earl Gulczinski 763-559-7167 vicepresident@redfoxcove.org grounds@redfoxcove.org Secretary Community Affairs Paul Berndt 763-557-9685 Mavis Bakken 763-559-0340 secretary@redfoxcove.org communityaffairs@redfoxcove.org Treasurer Rob Tryon 763-557-5172 treasurer@redfoxcove.org Red Fox Tale Published by the Red Fox Cove Homeowners Association Editors: Joseph & Pamela Kummer taleeditor@redfoxcove.org 16
Similar documents
View - redfoxcove.org
As the population in the Maple Grove area ages, the program becomes more greatly needed, according to Stephanie Lehman, coordinator of the Maple Grove area Meals on Wheels. The program is overseen ...
More information