PO Box 656, Normal, IL 61761 Reminders Ironwood Golf Course

The Official Newsletter of the Ironwood Homeowners Association
June/July/August 2015
PO Box 656, Normal, IL 61761
Reminders
Ironwood Golf Course
By Tyler Bain
Ironwood Food Drive: Remember that
the food drive continues every month from the
first Tuesday to the second Tuesday of the
month. We have had excellent support with
contributions of non-perishable foods being
dropped off at the Ironwood clubhouse. The
IHOA Board has decided to give the food
donations each month to the Clare House food
pantry.
Schools Are Out: Remember that school
is out for summer recess, so young people will
be out playing and enjoying the summer
weather. The posted speed limit on all streets in
Ironwood is 30 mph. If everyone observes the
speed limit and keeps an eye out for joggers,
bike riders and young people at play, we should
have a safe and enjoyable summer in the subdivision.
Lawn Care: The covenants require each
of us to maintain our yards in a manner
comparable to other yards in the sub-division. If
your yard is starting to look like a dandelion
patch, or your landscaping has more weeds
growing in it than flowers, you need to take some
action to make it look more like other yards in the
sub-division.
My name is Tyler Bain, and I am the Golf
Course Superintendent here at Ironwood.
I
would like to take the time to update you on a
few projects and some concerns on the golf
course.
The slopes around the ponds at Ironwood
were regraded in 2014 and then seeded with
native grasses and flowers to stabilize the banks.
That process was completed last year and the
results have been very good. The seed has
germinated nicely and we have a good covering
over the slopes. The native plants are still very
small, but they are plentiful around the edges.
The plants will continue most of their growth
below the surface, putting a strong root system
below ground, before we will notice big flushes of
growth above ground. This is a long process,
but the end result will be that of a more
sustainable wetland area.
This also brings up my next point. As all of
continued on Page 2
Contents:
Fireworks: Any fireworks which explode or
shoot up in the air are illegal in McLean County
unless a fireworks permit has been obtained.
Please refrain from discharging illegal fireworks
in the Ironwood sub-division, including the golf
course area.
Calendar of Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 2
HOA Board of Directors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 2
IHOA Financial Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 2
Important Telephone Numbers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 3
Ironwood Golf Course . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 1
Reminders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 1
Page 1
The Official Newsletter of the Ironwood Homeowners Association
Ironwood Golf Course - continued
March/April/May 2015
IHOA Board of Directors
you know, we have tall native grass areas
around the course, and many of those areas are
next to many of your homes. We have been out
in a few areas treating for thistle and other
weeds as well. This is a very long process due
to the sheer amount of acreage we have on the
course. We will be out spraying over the next 2
weeks to help control the thistle. There will be
days that we will be unable to spray due to wind,
rain, and other priorities we have on the golf
course. We ask you to have patience with this
process as it will take us a fair amount of time to
complete.
I have also been receiving many calls/
emails from homeowners about Ash tree
removal. Most of the trees that line the property
lines around the golf course are Ash trees.
Many, if not all, have been affected by the
Emerald Ash Borer (EAB). Our golf course staff
has been working to remove the dead ash trees
around the property, but with the amount of dead
trees we have on the course it is a large and
time consuming task. We ask that you have
patience with us in this process.
We are
currently targeting the dead trees first. There are
several around the property lines, and those will
be a priority. Some of the areas to note are
continued on Page 3
President: Karl Bauchmoyer . . . . . . . 530-9515
Vice-President: Linda Rheeling . . . . 454-2941
Secretary: Erik Bush . . . . . . . . . . . . . 585-2260
Treasurer: JoEllen Bahnsen . . . . . . . 454-3053
Board Member: David Brown . . . . . . 451-5829
Board Member: Walt Clark . . . . . . . . 862-4350
Board Member: Karen Timmerman. . 454-2956
Calendar of Events
June 2015
6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-Day Observance
9 . . . . . . . . . . . IHOA Board of Directors Meeting
14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Flag Day Observance
18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Start of Ramadan
21 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fathers’ Day
21 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Summer Solstice
IHOA Financial Report
July 2015
2/10/15 - 5/12/15
4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Independance Day
14 . . . . . . . . . . IHOA Board of Directors Meeting
26 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Parents’ Day
Balance on 2/10/15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . $27,363.27
+
Income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $4,834.02
Expenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5,245.61
=
Balance on 5/12/15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . $26,951.68
August 2015
11 . . . . . . . . . . IHOA Board of Directors Meeting
21 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Senior Citizens Day
(Note: As of press time Unit 5 has not released their
2015-16 calendar)
Page 2
The Official Newsletter of the Ironwood Homeowners Association
March/April/May 2015
Ironwood Golf Course - continued
along the North sides of the 3rd and 4th hole. Also on our list to remove first are trees along the
North side of the 10th and 12th holes. Those will be our first priority due to the condition that these
trees are in. We have plans in place to replace some of the Ash trees. We will not replace them all.
If you have Ash trees that line the back of your property, it would be in your best interest to start
planting replacements now if you choose to do so. Keep in mind that these replacement trees need
to be on your own property. Please do not, under any circumstance, plant trees on golf course
property. If you are unsure where your property ends and Town of Normal property begins, I would
be glad to meet with you to discuss this problem.
One of the other major projects we are looking at completing this year will be a renovation to our
sand bunkers on the golf course. We are in the process of getting the specifications together for this
project and we will soon be sending out information to contractors who would be able to complete this
project. The plan is to remove all of the current sand from the bunkers, add drainage tile, and replace
with completely new bunker sand. We will also look into reshaping some of the bunkers on the
course as well.
That is all of the major projects that are planned out at Ironwood this year, and I would like to
focus now on a few issues that we have seen on the course. If you have a company come in that
needs access to the rear of your property, please understand that you need to check with golf course
staff first if you need to use our property as an access point. Our staff can then escort them to the
proper location in the fastest and easiest way possible without any concerns of damage to our
property. I would also like to urge homeowners not to dump landscape waste or grass clippings onto
our property as well.
I would also like to take the time to thank all of the homeowners for their help as well. Many of
you call in and report vandalism and dangerous activity on the golf course. This is a tremendous help
to our staff because we cannot be everywhere on the golf course and see everything.
Finally, if you have any questions or concerns that you would like to share, please feel free to
contact me via phone (309-454-9568) or email (tbain@normal.org) or stop in to the maintenance
shop, and I will be happy to talk with you about
them. I look forward to meeting you and I hope
Important Telephone Numbers
the golf course can continue to have a great
ECIA Agency on Aging
(800) 888-4456
relationship with the Ironwood HOA.
Ironwood Golf Course
454-9620
Normal City Manager
454-9503
Normal Fire Department
454-9610
Normal Inspections Department
454-9581
Normal Parks & Recreaction
454-9540
Normal Police Department
888-5030
Normal Public Works
454-9571
Normal Water Department
454-9563
Town of Normal
454-2444
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The Official Newsletter of the Ironwood Homeowners Association
March/April/May 2015