Fall 2010 | Wingfield Springs Community Association Newsletter
neighborhood update
H
ere’s hoping you are all having a good summer and this finds you well. For the association and the board, this will be a busy time. We have board elections coming up and will have three seats up for election. Our last Hawk Talk provided an application for all of you who are interested. Hopefully, some of you have done this and submitted the application. They were all due by October 12. One of the board’s most challenging meetings each year is the budget planning session. The board will have completed this task by the time you receive this newsletter. We on the board expect that we will be able to keep our expenses related to our three main contracts in line with what they were last year. This includes the patrol, landscape, and management contracts. These three contracts combined make up the bulk of our expenses each year. The 2011 budget is balanced and the good news is we don’t need any additional monies. Now for other news...after years of delays caused by traffic and growth, then a lack of money, we now have our four lane Vista Blvd. in Sparks, making the drive quicker for motorists. This was provided by voter approval in 2008 of higher fuel taxes to fund future road projects across the county. Thanks to the efforts of Mike Carrigan, the Sparks City Council, the Sparks Planning Commission, and our HOA, the Vista Blvd. project was moved from near the bottom to the top of the RTC priority list. We thank everyone who helped make this expansion possible for all of us to enjoy. Alert! Last year there were 11,000,000 identity thefts across the U.S. Here is some background information on the serious nature of this crime. Identity theft starts with the misuse of your personally identifying information such as your name and Social Security number, credit card numbers, or other financial account information. For identity thieves, this information is as good as gold. Skilled identity thieves use a variety of methods to get hold of your information, including: 1. Dumpster Diving. They rummage through trash looking for bills or other paper with your personal information on it. 2. Skimming. They steal credit/debit card numbers by using a special storage device when processing your card. 3. Phishing. They pretend to be financial institutions/companies and send spam or pop-up messages to get you to reveal your personal information. 4. Changing Your Address. They divert your billing statements to another location by completing a change of address form.
5. Old-Fashioned Stealing. They steal wallets and purses; mail, including bank and credit card statements; pre-approved credit offers; and new checks or tax information. They steal personnel records or bribe employees who have access. 6. Pretexting. They use false pretenses to obtain your personal information from financial institutions, telephone companies, and other sources. Once they have your personal information, identity thieves use it in a variety of ways. One example is credit card fraud: z They may open new credit card accounts in your name. When they use the cards and don’t pay the bills, the delinquent accounts appear on your credit report. z They may change the billing address on your credit card so that you no longer receive bills, and then run up charges on your account. Because your bills are now sent to a different address, it may be some time before you realize there’s a problem.
What should you do if your identity is stolen? Filing a police report, checking your credit reports, notifying creditors, and disputing any unauthorized transactions are some of the steps you must take immediately to restore your good name. Hope this info is helpful. See you at the November 4 annual meeting where we will present the 2011 budget summary and welcome new board members. The meeting will be held at 6 pm in the Red Hawk Events Center.
Lou Dauria
President Wingfield Springs Community Association
Community
Manager’s Report
I
Wingfield Springs
Community Association Newsletter WSCA Board of Directors
have been transitioning into the new position as your community manager. I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself to the Wingfield Springs Community Association. My career in the industry began in March 2005 at a previous management company in Reno; I was employed as a portfolio manager responsible for overseeing the operations of twelve communities. I joined the AMI staff in August 2007. Since joining the AMI staff, I have obtained the CMCA (Certified Manager of Community Associations) designation, the AMS (Association Management Specialist) designation, and Supervising Community Manager Certificate. To further my career, I will continue by pursuing the national PCAM (Professional Community Association Manager) designation through CAI (Community Association Institute). I also hold the position of the AUC (Associa University Coordinator) for Associated Management; I monitor and administer Associa’s education and training programs relative to the company’s employees.
PRESIDENT Lou Dauria, eplus@aol.com VICE PRESIDENT Curtis Hemphill, diskdog2003@yahoo.com SECRETARY Donna Chaffer, donna.chaffer@yahoo.com TREASURER Bob Denis, calraisin@yahoo.com DIRECTOR Denny Jensen, craynut@charter.net
Handy Phone Numbers & Information ASSOCIATED MANAGEMENT, INC. Telephone: (775) 626-7333 Facsimile: (775) 626-7374 Answering Service: (775) 832-0888 (After hours, weekends & holidays)
Website: www.amiusa.net Email: wfsservice@amiusa.net Office Hours: 8 am–5 pm Monday through Friday; the phone lines shut down at 4 pm on Friday. Red Hawk Community Patrol (775) 722-6270 cellular; 24/7 Please call immediately for water related issues. Call 911 for emergency services; ambulance, fire, police. Red Hawk Swim & Fitness Center Wingfield Springs Realty David’s Grill at Red Hawk Red Hawk Golf Club Sparks/Washoe County Animal Control
(775) 626-8699 (775) 626-4700 (775) 626-1000 (775) 626-4599 (775) 322-3647
Please note: Views expressed in HawkTalk are not necessarily the opinions of WSCA, its board members or Associated Management, Inc. The editor reserves the right to edit submitted articles for content and space constraints. Advertising in HawkTalk is paid for by the individual advertisers. WSCA does not necessarily endorse or support any of the advertisers. Advertising monies collected are used to offset the printing costs of each HawkTalk. HawkTalk is supported in whole by advertising. Newsletter published by: Kathy Hess, Just Imagine Marketing and Design (775) 746-4138 | kathy@justimaginemktg.com
I enjoy the day-to-day operations in managing communities and being able to solve any challenges that may arise; while maintaining a professional and productive working relationship with the board and homeowners. Before venturing into the world of Community Association Management, I previously spent four years active duty in the United States Air Force and was stationed in Germany for a few years. Upon separation from the military, I left the Bay area and moved to Reno in 2005. When I am not working, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, traveling, bowling, playing softball, and loving my cats. I look forward to meeting you all at the annual meeting on November 4th, in which we will announce the results of the election to the Board of Directors, ratify the 2011 budgets, and conduct other business as may properly come before the meeting. All homeowners are encouraged to attend. Sincerely, Associated Management, Inc. An Associa® Member Company
Melissa Robertson, CMCA®, AMS®
Nevada Certified Supervising Community Manager Page 2
HawkTalk | Fall 2010
Community Standards Hearings Oct. 21st • 5:30 pm Red Hawk Board Room Workshop; Review Nov. 4th Agenda Oct. 28th • 3 pm Red Hawk Board Room Executive Board Oct. 28th • 5 pm Red Hawk Board Room Annual Members; ratify 2011 Budgets Nov. 4th • 6 pm Red Hawk Events Center Board of Directors Nov. 4th • Following Annual Red Hawk Events Center Holiday Parties Dec. 11th • 10 am & 2 pm Red Hawk Events Center Workshops will be held to review the agenda items of the next scheduled board meeting. Homeowners are welcome to attend workshops.
No action (vote) will be taken by the board on any matter discussed or reviewed at a Workshop. All dates, times and venues are subject to change. If the Red Hawk Board Room is not available, the hearing, workshop, or executive board meeting will be held at Associated Management, Inc. (AMI) at 5955 Tyrone Road, Suite #1, Reno, NV 89502. Workshop and meeting notices will be published in each HawkTalk newsletter. HawkTalk will be mailed at least ten (10) days before each board meeting. Board meeting agendas will be posted on the Association’s website the Friday before each board meeting. You may also obtain an agenda copy by calling AMI at (775) 626-7333. The board will conduct a workshop on October 28th at 3 pm in the Red Hawk Board Room to review the items listed on this board meeting Agenda. Additionally, the board will discuss: HawkTalk newsletter articles and suggestions are due to AMI at least four (4) weeks before each Board of Directors meeting. An executive meeting of the Board of Directors will be held to address specific CC&R violations, delinquencies, DRC challenges, and/or legal matters on Thursday, October 28, 2010 at 5 pm in the Red Hawk Board Room. Executive board meetings are not open to homeowners.
Friendly Community R emin d ers
P
lease remind your children that they should not disturb or walk through any landscaped areas. Disturbing and destroying common and/or private areas is vandalism and cannot be tolerated. It is costly to repair and replace these items and ultimately everyone suffers due to the misconduct of a few. CC&R’s require dogs to be on leash or other restraint being held by a person capable of controlling the animal when not confined to an enclosure, enclosed yard or home. Let’s not forget those little plastic bags for cleaning up those relief moments. Do you know who is in your neighborhood? If you should see anyone committing suspicious activities or a suspicious vehicle driving the neighborhood, please contact the patrol service immediately (775) 722-6270. If you feel it is of an emergency nature immediately call 911.
Advertise Your Business in the HawkTalk Newsletter 90 day shelf life quarterly mailing available online with links to all advertiser’s websites next issue in January
To find out more, contact: Kathy Hess Just Imagine Marketing and Design 775.746.4138 office kathy@justimaginemktg.com
HawkTalk | Fall 2010
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2010 Community Associations Institute
Northern Nevada
Seminars and luncheons will be held at the Peppermill Resort Casino in Reno.
»Homeowner Seminars
Appreciation to our Freedom Fighters
O
October 21st Ethics November 18th Contracts
Seminars run from 6–8 pm. They are free for CAI members with RSVP and $10 for CAI members without RSVP and for non-members.
»October 20th Quarterly Luncheon
Lunch check-in begins at 11 am; this program runs from 11 am– 2 pm. Lunch cost is $30 for CAI members with RSVP and $50 for CAI members without RSVP and for non-members. Please pre-register by calling 888-406-0063 or email: info@cai-nevada.org For more information please visit the CAI Nevada website at: www.cai-nevada.org
»Community Outreach
CAI is helping today’s children for tomorrow’s communities. Donations of money or specified items will be accepted at each CAI event for atrisk schools in Washoe County. A percentage of the profit from the CAI fundraisers will be donated to these schools.
ver the past years our troops were ordered by our Commanders in Chief to go abroad and combat for liberty and freedom. We respectfully thank all men and women who responded. Unfortunately, too many have paid significant price to protect the fundamentals of this country. Even more sadly, of those, many made the ultimate sacrifice and lost their life in battle. Our community is home to some of these heroes both here and gone, and their direct family members, all affected by the wars. To all of you, and on behalf of all of us here at Wingfield Springs, we want to express our gratitude for protecting us no matter what the situation encountered. Thank you. To further our appreciation, we open Hawk Talk space to list our soldiers in action, those wounded or injured, and those who have fallen. Simply provide us the name, rank, unit, station location, and your relationship to the soldier, and your surname. Please send the information via email to Bob Denis at bobwfs08@yahoo.com or to Melissa Robertson at mnr@amiusa.net. In closing, we believe it important for our community to realize that even us in beautiful Wingfield Springs are not immune to the hard realities going on abroad where our troops are involved and hope this will be viewed by those affected as a small token of our support for our soldiers.
Lou, Donna, Denny, Curtis, Bob
Your Home Owners Association Board of Directors
The following information is a summary of the activities of the Community Patrol for the period of June 24th to September 30th, 2010. z The patrol conducted 147 house watches for the community. z Issued or logged 127 community standards violation notices to home owners. z Conducted 166 follow ups at the request of the H.O.A. z Conducted 120 water shut offs of common area sprinkler systems. Some of the calls from residents requesting patrol assistance were: z Loud music and parties. z Door to door salespersons. z Children ringing door bells at night. z Calls for vandalism. z Graffiti on signs or property.
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z z z z z z z
Saran wrap and string strung across the street in separate areas. Trees down in the streets or common area. Property removed from unlocked vehicles. Suspicious activities, persons, vehicles. Groups of young adults hanging out at parks at night time. Signs that are not permitted in common area. Assisted residents and Washoe County Regional animal services with problems or lost animals. z Assisted the Sparks Fire Dept. and Police Dept. on vehicle accidents. z Assisted city of Sparks with street signs down.
HawkTalk | Fall 2010
Community Reminders 2010 Annual Holiday Parties
P
lease join us to celebrate the December holidays on Saturday, December 11th at the Red Hawk Events Center. This event is sponsored by the Wingfield Springs Community Association. Again this year, in an effort to accommodate as many guests as possible, there will be a brunch party from 10 am–noon and a lunch party from 2–4 pm There will be food and beverages for the adults as well as a special buffet for the children at each party. Buffet tickets for each adult and child will be distributed at the check-in table. Wingfield Springs owners, residents, and their immediate family members are invited to attend free of charge. Each family/guest may attend either the brunch or the lunch party. In order to allow a maximum number of Wingfield Springs’ residents to attend, please do not include non-family members. Children 12 years of age and under can decorate holiday cookies, make a holiday craft, and visit with Santa Claus. Children must be accompanied by an adult in order to attend. There are many more families in need of a helping hand this holiday season. The WSCA Board of Directors approved conducting a food drive during the annual holiday parties; the Evelyn Mount Community Outreach Food Drive was chosen. Each attending guest is encouraged to bring an item from Evelyn’s wish list:
grocery gift cards • turkeys • hams • cornish game hens • potatoes • fresh and instant rolls • bread • marshmallows • yams/sweet potatoes • canned vegetables • macaroni & cheese • mushroom soup • chicken soup • canned dried onions • turkey gravy • brown gravy The Evelyn Mount Community Outreach Food Drive will provide the collection barrels. Reservations must be made in advance no later than 4 pm on December 3rd to wfsservice@amiusa.net. Please indicate which party and the number of children and adults that will be attending. An email RSVP response (confirmation) is required and will be verified at the checkin table. Volunteers are needed to check-in guests and to help with the cookie decorating table.
Exterior Home Holiday Decorations Holiday decorations may be installed fourteen (14) days before a holiday, and shall be taken down within fourteen (14) days after the holiday. December holiday decorations may be installed fourteen (14) days before Thanksgiving, and shall be removed by February 1st. December holiday decorations may not be lit any sooner than the day before Thanksgiving.
Sewing Classes
for beginners through the experienced Machine Embroidery Classes • Home Dec Custom Sewing Services • Alterations • Sewing Notions Machine Sales and Service Join in Open Sewing: Wednesday and Saturday 1–5 Monday–Friday 9:30 am–6 pm Saturday 10 am–5 pm | Closed Sunday 1276 Disc Drive | Sparks, NV 89436 775.996.5496 | www.SewStitchesCafe.com
HawkTalk | Fall 2010
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Northern Nevada Events
THE NEW
STANDARD
I N T H E S I LV E R S TAT E The region’s leader in cancer care, the Renown Institute for Cancer, has formed a remarkable new partnership with the University of California, San Francisco Medical Center–one of the top 10 cancer centers in the country. The experts at Renown will work hand in hand with the worldrenowned cancer team at UCSF to bring patients the latest therapies and promising new treatments. UCSF is one of only 40 prestigious Comprehensive Cancer Centers in the nation to be accredited by the National Cancer Institute. Patients will have a team of local and national experts evaluating their care and will have access to an astounding 275 clinical trials. No other Nevada cancer program offers this broad choice of expertise and treatment options for patients. Renown and UCSF are dedicated to creating lifechanging treatment options for patients.
Ferrari Farm Cornmaze and Pumpkin Patch An authentic farm in which everything sold is grown on location. Items include cornstalks, corn bales, gourds, fall produce, as well as over 20 different varieties of pumpkins with varied colors and sizes. Activities include hayrides, bounce house, farm animals to view, the large corn maze and pumpkin patch, as well as our mechanical bull. Hours: 9:30 am to 8 pm Mon.–Thu.; 9:30 am to 10 pm Fri. & Sat. and 9:30 am to 6 pm Sundays. Cost: $5 corn maze, $3 hayrides or $10 per family, $1 bounce house; pumpkins priced according to size. Details: 775-8564962. Le Grand Cirque Aug. 17–Nov. 7, 2010. Enjoy a spellbinding performance of “Le Grand Cirque” at the Eldorado Showroom. Prices start at $19.95 with dinner and show packages and brunch and matinee packages starting at only $34.95. Show times are every Tue.–Sun. at 7 pm with additional performances on Saturday night at 9:30 pm and Sunday afternoon at 3 pm. Reserve your seats for Le Grand Cirque by visiting online at www.eldoradoreno.com or calling 800-648-5966 or 775-786-5700 today! Riverwalk District Wine Walk Oct. 16, Nov. 20 and Dec. 18, 2010. You must be 21 or older to participate in wine walks. Visit any participating Riverwalk District merchant on wine walk day and for a $20 wine tasting fee and a valid photo I.D. you will receive a wine glass, wrist band, and a map of the merchants pouring wine. Enjoy some great wine and help out a good cause. Parking is available in public lots. Nevada Day Parade and Events Oct. 30, 2010. When it comes to state birthday parties, Nevada can’t be topped. On the last Friday and Saturday of every October, the Silver State celebrates its 1864 admission to the Union with the largest formal celebration in the country! And talk about extravagant—Nevada Days’ past have featured everything from hot balloons to dramatic fly-overs from the Air Guard. And of course, there’s the culmination of every Nevada Day—a grand parade in Carson City, the state’s capital. Carson St. & Mills Park, 101 N. Carson St. Scheels Turkey Trot Sparks Marina Park, Sparks, NV, Nov. 25, 2010. A fun run/walk event for families & out-of-town guests on Thanksgiving morning. The first race begins at 8:30 am. Details: (775) 353-7898. Sparks Hometowne Christmas Sparks, NV, Dec. 3–4, 2010. The annual tree lighting ceremony, which in the past took place the same day as the parade will now be held on Friday evening from 6:30–7 pm in front of the Saint Mary’s Amphitheater on Victorian Avenue. Then on Sat., Dec. 4th, the public is invited to attend the 24th annual Sparks Hometowne Christmas Parade. The parade will travel from east to west on Victorian Avenue and run from 1– 3 pm. Details: email: eventinfo@ cityofsparks.us or (775) 353-2291.
To learn more visit renown.org/UCSF. Dickens Festival & Christmas on the Comstock Virginia City, NV, Dec. 3–24, 2010. New happenings go on every weekend in December leading up to Christmas. The Christmas on the Comstock starts on Dec. 3 with the Dickens Faire and is followed with a Parade of Lights, concerts at the world famous Pipers Opera House, gingerbread socials, charity auctions, crafts,and food galore. Don’t miss out on the Christmas dinner and ball at historic Piper’s Opera House. Details: (775) 847-4386.
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HawkTalk | Fall 2010
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775-622-6842 Your Wingfield Springs “Only” Realtor
6295 WINGFIELD SPRINGS RD. SPARKS, NV 89436
HawkTalk | Fall 2010
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Wingfield Springs Community Association c/o Associated Management, Inc. 5955 Tyrone, Rd., Suite One Reno, NV 89502
Irrigation Water Management report
S
ummer is over and what a summer it was. Irrigation experts label it as the highest demanding in irrigation water (high evapo-transpiration or “ET” index) in a long time mainly due to long periods of heat and wind combined. In addition, we had the Vista widening project that negatively affected (breakages) some of the system areas, a small price to pay for reducing traffic congestion yet nonetheless affecting our consumption.
Current Status To date, we consumed a rounded 55 million gallons or 168 acre feet annualized (AFA). This is well above the engineered 113 AFA goal for the year, yet slightly better than same time last year by some 13 AFA’s. A combination of close monitoring and latest technology combated the long dry summer and the multiple main line repairs we encountered. We were unsuccessful in moving our entire watering schedule to the more efficient evening/night periods due to conflict with golf course irrigation schedule resulting in low pressure in our system. This does result in more watering demand to compensate. We continue working with Red Hawk, our irrigation water supplier, to improve this situation. However, it is becoming painfully obvious that meeting the 113 AFA objective while working within the current aging system and its complexities is stretching reality beyond reason. We have initiated resolution dialogue with our supplier to come to a workable solution. We will keep you updated of progress in future Hawk Talk releases. October is upon us. Historically, this month demands about 50% less water than summer months. This year will continue with the same strategy and turn down the water scheduling by half or more to hopefully finish the year under our 2009 performance of a rounded 191 AFA. Let’s hope we get no surprise like we did in September with unusual hot weather.
You can continue to help! We experience breakage of various devices in the system such as stuck valves, run down batteries, broken sprinkler heads, etc. It is important these issues get reported so we can first turn off the defective circuit and soon thereafter fix the problem. If you see or suspect an issue with the irrigation system in your area, promptly contact our community patrol at 722-6270. We also experienced vandalism of sprinkler heads and controllers. Anybody giving us specific information leading us to individuals responsible for these cowardly acts can be eligible for monetary rewards. Here again, contact our community patrol at 722-6270. Looking forward to great fall colors.
Bob Denis treasurer