Plum Grove Estates Property Owners Association
Neighborhood News
Winter 2017
Working Together for a GREAT Neighborhood
President’s Message – Guy Karm same as when they were installed in the 1950s. The electrical systems needed to be brought up to code and the stone work needed repair from wear and the weather. Unfortunately, the tuck pointing and electrical work was very expensive, so most of our financial reserves were spent in completing these items. Also, there will be some additional electrical work needed at some point in the future at the frontage road entranceways. Therefore, the Board of Directors voted to increase the yearly dues for 2017 to $250 for the next year. I have lived here for 11 years now and this is the first increase in the amount of the yearly dues.
! Well, another winter has passed. I am not sure about the rest of you, but I thought that it was a great winter; hardly any snow and not too cold. My birthday is at the end of March and I can remember years that I was out in only a t-shirt and other years when there was 2 feet of snowfall. But, no matter what, we can live with it since April is right around the corner and any snow and all of the cold weather will be gone for another year. Several neighbors contacted me who were surprised by the increase in the yearly dues this year. Apparently they have not been to any of the neighborhood meetings or were aware of the improvements to the entrance ways.
Again, the electrical systems and stone pillars and walls were the -1 ! -
I think that everyone could see the improvement with the entranceways after the work was completed and especially with the Christmas holiday lighting. Also, I know that the Preservation and Beautification Committee has plans for new landscaping at the entranceways and islands this year. I can hardly wait to see them.
Patrick Murray, Lt. John Konrad and Community Resource Coordinator Penny Matek from the Cook County Sheriff’s Police Department, who attended our General Meeting in February. They gave us a presentation regarding the police involvement in Plum Grove Estates during the past year. Please read the Minutes from that meeting that follow in this Newsletter. However, the main point that I took away from their presentation was that no resident should be afraid to call the police if they have a suspicion or a concern. They would rather respond to a hundred calls where no actual action was necessary than to not come to one call where a resident was hurt or victimized because they were afraid to bother the police. If you have a concern, call the police.
In closing, I hope to see everyone out walking and working in their yards once the weather changes and winter is gone for the year. All the yards look so nice with the spring growth. It reminds me how fortunate we all are and that Plum Grove Estates is truly a wonderful place to live.
A neighbor also contacted me about what he called “the taxi cab house” on North Elmwood, which has been a - Guy Karm, President PGEPOA problem for some time. I am happy to report that the bank foreclosed on the property and sold it to a contractor who intends to fix it up and Newsletter Contents sell it. Also, we were able to collect Community News…………..….……2 all of the past dues that were owed to Board Members Reports…………….3 us. General Meeting Minutes……..….…8 Holiday Party photos…….…….…. 10 I would like to thank Commander PGE Calendar………………….……12
Plum Grove Estates Property Owners Association ! P.O. Box 2568 ! Palatine, IL 60078-2568 ! www.pgepoa.org
Community News Dig into these Spring Plant Sales For PGE gardeners, springtime means it’s time to put down some roots! We’re lucky to have so many great garden centers in the area, but another wonderful source of plants are the sales sponsored by area garden clubs and nature organizations. These events feature a wide variety of plants, many from veteran gardeners’ own yards. They’re also a way to give back to nonprofit community groups.
Citizens for Conservation 20th Annual Native Plant, Shrub & Tree Sale: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, May 6-7 at the CFC “barns area,” 459 W. Highway 22 (east of Good Shepherd Hospital), Lake Barrington. Online preorders are recommended (and shrubs and trees must be preordered); deadline is April 12 at citizensforconservation.org.
Need more incentive? Many of these sales offer native plants that can be hard to find. Planting natives, which are exquisitely suited to our region’s growing conditions, will also help sustain our local birds, butterflies and bees. Here are three we love to attend; visit the groups’ websites for additional details.
Schaumburg Community Garden Club and Spring Valley Nature Club are cohosting this year’s Native Plant Sale: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, May 21 at Spring Valley Nature Center, 1111 E. Schaumburg Road, Schaumburg. The sale is a few weeks later than earlier years, meaning the group hopes to have more plants available for sale. Preordering is strongly advised; forms and listings of plants should be online soon at schaumburggardenclub.org/ plantsales/native-plant-sale. Deadline for preorders is typically sometime in April. Plants can be picked up at the fair but also from 1-3 p.m. Saturday, May 20. In addition, the Spring Valley Nature Club will sell a variety of hard-tofind heirloom vegetables and herbs. Go to springvalleynatureclub.org for details; their pre-order deadline is May 8. -2 ! -
Varieties of Liatris, such as “Blazing Star,” are stately bloomers and native to Illinois. It is beloved by butterflies.
Rolling Meadows Garden Club Plant and Craft Sale: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 13 at the Aherns Building, 3200 Central Road, Rolling Meadows. Go to rollingmeadowsgardenclub.org and click on the “Plant & Craft Sale” link.
NEW LOCAL MERCHANTS: Picante Mexican Bar & Grill
3989 W. Algonquin Road
Hyderabad House
1424 E. Algonquin Road
Plum Grove Estates Property Owners Association ! P.O. Box 2568 ! Palatine, IL 60078-2568 ! www.pgepoa.org
2017 PGEPOA Officers/Directors President Vice President and Architectural Control Secretary Treasurer
Guy Karm Dave Freeman Susan McDonald Amy Pritchard
Area Control Civic Affairs Membership Communications Social and Landscaping Audit Past President
2017 Fishing Derby
Rich Olsen Steve Sperling Lauri Mitchell Rich Coha Lynn Meinzer George Reichl Gary Dindia
Newsletter Advertising Full page ...........................once/$150 yearly/$380 Half page ...........................once/$100 yearly/$255 Quarter page........................once/$50 yearly/$125 Eighth page............................once/$25 yearly/$60 Thank you to all of our advertisers! Your ad defrays the cost of producing and mailing the newsletter.
The PGEPOA board is planning on having a Fishing Derby this year. The date has not been determined yet. When the date is set a postcard will be sent to all PGEPOA members. A notice will also be posted on our website and Facebook page.
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Plum Grove Estates Property Owners Association ! P.O. Box 2568 ! Palatine, IL 60078-2568 ! www.pgepoa.org
Board Member Reports Landscape Report – Lynn Meinzer PGEPOA has gone through the selective process that happens usually every three years to hire a company to handle the mowing, maintenance and other landscape projects as they become needed and approved. The process involved a thorough Request for Proposal, a phone interview with each company responder and analysis of the costs per service. The search produced a winner, M & B Landscaping of Palatine, owned by Mike and Beth Zyer. To date, M i k e Zy e r a t t e n d e d a P r e s e r v a t i o n & Beautification Committee Meeting in February and Mike accompanied me on a PGE ‘walk through’ to locate all areas to be maintained with mention of some history of the area and suggestions for the future. Lists of all areas were provided to help the new landscape company learn the areas maintained and the basic work for each area. We had an interesting and beneficial walk through PGE’s lanes, courts and drives. M & B Landscaping, with its multiple crews and years of experience with clients from single residences to Northwest Community Hospital, assures that Plum Grove Estates is in good hands! As Landscape Committee Person, I will keep Plum Grove Estate residents informed of general landscape matters; M&B landscape projects; and any Palatine Township landscape assistance provided. F.Y.I. – Palatine Township yard waste collection begins on 4/3/17 and ends on 11/21/17. Fifty-six yard waste stickers will be delivered to homes in Palatine Township prior to the start of collection. Spring and yard cleanups are just around the corner! -4 ! -
Membership – Lauri Mitchell Please take the time to welcome our new neighbors to Plum Grove Estates: Mark and Debra Hammersmith, 291 Briarwood
Social Report – Lynn Meinzer The PGEPOA ‘Kick-Off to Summer’ party is scheduled for June 21, the first day of summer! Since the Plum Grove Park Pool is closed, the Pool/Terrace combination is no longer possible. The rental areas are: the Banquet Hall, the Terrace (without any entrance to the area around the pool), and also the Picnic Hill, where the attendee number can be up to 200.The type of party will be discussed and decided at the next Board Meeting in March. There will be plenty of time to get the details of the party around to residents in time to make plans. Once again, it would be a good opportunity to meet and visit with neighbor/residents as we move into the summer season. Your suggestions and comments are welcome and can be sent to my email at: meinzer328@aol.com Help is always welcome with the PGE parties. There’s setup time, during the party details and cleanup time to plan for, so if you are interested in helping with the PGE Social Committee - in any measure - we would welcome your help! Thank you!
Civic Affairs – Steve Sperling This past November, Schaumburg Village Director of Transportation Karyn Robles held a meeting to discuss a proposed project to improve the intersection at Algonquin and Meacham roads. The majority of the proposed work involves the addition of a third eastbound lane on Algonquin Road from Communications Drive, on the former Motorola Solutions campus, to the West
Plum Grove Estates Property Owners Association ! P.O. Box 2568 ! Palatine, IL 60078-2568 ! www.pgepoa.org
…Board Member Reports continued
o Gravel removal at Algonquin o Beds and edging
Frontage Road of Route 53. The project also would like to include improvements at Algonquin and Meacham that would add an eastbound right-turn lane and an additional northbound right-turn lane. They would also like to upgrade the traffic signals on Algonquin Road at the intersections of both Meacham Road and Thoreau Drive. This project is not expected to start until 2019. SEE MAP ON PAGE 6.
o Determine sod requirements o Amount of mulch needed o Removal of tree at Frontage and Briarwood o Cobblestone requirements
The Beautification Committee – Lauri
o Soil testing results. o Watering requirements
Mitchell After extensive review of nine landscapers’ proposals, the Preservation and Beautification Committee and Plum Grove Estates Property Owners Association Board selected M & B Landscaping to receive our PGE landscaping contract. The P & B Committee met Feb. 8 with our new PGE landscaper, Mike Zyer of M & B Landscaping in Palatine. Mike and his wife, Beth, have been in business for over 20 years with impressive clients including Northwest Community Hospital and many other homeowner associations. They service their customers with four working crews. We discussed and listed our landscape priorities for this year:
o Weed control on Meadow Lane Creek bed
1. Working and beautifying our entrances. 2. Repairing the Meadow Lane/Briarwood island. M & B’s references were checked by committee members and their references are stellar. Mike has worked with PGE residents Dave and Maggie Mackey. Mike’s contract will begin in March, weather permitting. The following items were discussed at our meeting. Please contact Lauri Mitchell with any questions, input or additions to the items below. •
We shared the Board’s wish list o Mass plantings of annuals or perennials: color schemed o A Landscape plan document
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Plum Grove Estates Property Owners Association ! P.O. Box 2568 ! Palatine, IL 60078-2568 ! www.pgepoa.org
Planned third lane of East Algonquin Rd. View is at the intersection of Thoreau/Thorntree and Algonquin. Detail is at Westwood Lane. -6 ! -
Plum Grove Estates Property Owners Association ! P.O. Box 2568 ! Palatine, IL 60078-2568 ! www.pgepoa.org
PGE POA General Meeting Minutes (pending approval) Wednesday, February 15, 2017 Call to Order – The general meeting of the Plum Grove Homeowners Association was called to order by President Guy Karm at 7:35 PM on Wednesday, February 15, 2017 at the Plum Grove Park
Board Attendees
Guy Karm, Lynn Meinzer, George Reichl, Rich Olsen, Rich Coha, Susan McDonald, Amy Pritchard Absent Board Members - Lauri Mitchell, Gary Dindia, Dave Freeman
Resident Attendees
Tom and Pat LoSasso, Howard and Pauline Pohl, Linda and Tom Hamon, Bill Huley, George Manthey, Kenny and Ken Flobeck, Joanne Olsen, Mike Adams, Adam Gimpert, Mark Makowski, Ingrid Higgins, June Muehler, Madeline Madsen, Pam Adelizzi, Kevin McDonald, Rich Phillips, Ali Phillips, Sue Knowling, Dave Knowling, Lenon Chang, Andrea Brennan.
doesn’t directly identify your whereabouts but calling from a landline does. Some additional tips were provided and a short question and answer session took place. There was some dialogue regarding a mystery vehicle roaming the neighborhood that several residents in attendance had witnessed. This vehicle was going to be researched and monitored by the department.
Civic Affairs
Steve Sperling reported on Civic Affairs next, due to his needing to leave the meeting early. He presented an artist rendering from the Village of Schaumburg Transportation Department of the new third lane planned for Algonquin Road between Motorola and Westwood. The proposed date for its opening is 2019. A sidewalk is planned going west from Westwood to the 7-Eleven strip mall. Per Karen Robles from the department, Schaumburg hasn’t acquired all the proper eminent domain or personal purchases yet. There were questions on whether we can approach the department regarding a sound barrier wall. The discussion summary was that the time would be now to start this conversation.
Approval of Minutes Cook County Sheriff Presentation:
Commander Patrick Murray, Lieutenant John Conrad and Community Coordinator Penny Matek from the Cook County Sheriff’s department addressed the general meeting regarding recorded events related to the neighborhood. In 2016, they recorded 178 citizen requests and 1,783 events. In 2015, they recorded 149 citizen requests and 1,092 events. They discussed “ruse” burglaries or “gypsy scams,” which are burglaries that take place while you are present in the home. They stated the items targeted are usually cash, coins and jewelry. There wa s o n e s u c h e ve n t i n t h e P l u m G rove neighborhood in 2016. They noted that on the sheriff’s website there is an instructional video regarding these ruses. They recommended that before opening your door, you should always ask for an ID to be slipped under the door for verification. This can be done by calling 911 and reviewing the ID information with the 911 operator. It was recommended to always lock your doors and windows, even before running short errands. It was suggested that we store, for easy access, the sheriff non-emergency number: 847-635-1188. It was explained that dialing 911 from a cellphone -7 ! -
Kevin McDonald motioned and George Manthey seconded the approval of the Oct. 17, 2016 General Meeting minutes and was unanimously approved.
Treasurer’s Report
Amy Pritchard reviewed the report, Bill Huley moved, and Lynn Meinzer seconded the treasurer’s report to be moved into records. This was unanimously approved.
President’s Remarks
President Guy Karm thanked everyone for attending the meeting and reinforced Commander Murray’s recommendation to not hesitate to call either 911 or the Cook County non-emergency number in regards to anything that PGE residences find concerning.
Area Control
Rich Olsen reported that everything is good due to the winter months providing a respite from most of the violations that happen to occur mostly in the warmer months. There was some discussion …Meeting Minutes continued
Plum Grove Estates Property Owners Association ! P.O. Box 2568 ! Palatine, IL 60078-2568 ! www.pgepoa.org
regarding an incidence of a resident smelling a chemical burn odor from a home. It was suggested that Cook County be notified if the smell continues. There was some additional discussion regarding the tree cutting violations in the neighborhood and pond regulation and signage.
the volunteers and co-committee members, Debbie Denton and Susan McDonald.
Landscaping and Preservation & Beautification Committee Reports
The Kick-Off to Summer party is planned for June 21, 2017, coinciding with the first day of summer. Since we no longer have the swimming pool or terrace available, we may want to consider a new venue. Anyone with a new idea or wanting to contribute to the planning please let Lynn know. Some options for new venues include a block party, picnic or cookout.
The Landscaping and Preservation Report was read by Lynn Meinzer due to Lauri Mitchell’s absence:
Architectural Control
After extensive review of nine proposals, the PBC Committee and Board elected M & B Landscaping with the 2017 contract. Mike Zyer, owner of M & B, has an extensive client list and is used by many other homeowner associations. He was instructed that the 2017 priorities are to work and beautify the three entrances as well as Meadow Lane and Briarwood Islands. He will begin work in March, weather permitting.
There was no report due to Dave Freeman’s absence.
Communications/Newsletter
Rich Coha reported that he is working on an email flash, which is a group distribution list of Plum Grove Estates residences that can be used to reach residences for emergencies or other immediate needs. He reminded everyone to include their email addresses on their dues statement if their email has recently changed.
Landscaping
Lynn Meinzer reviewed a summary of her work history with Plum Grove Estates, which began in 2007. She outlined the progress of Tri-scape activities and accomplishments throughout the years. She offered to pass on any information, suggestions, etc. to the new landscaper. She will be joining Mike Zyer from M & B on a walk-through soon.
Old Business
There was no old business.
New Business
As PGE Landscape chairman, Lynn will keep in touch with the Palatine Township Road District Manager, Roland Sachs. She ended the report with a summary of the 2016 holiday lighting. She received positive feedback that the lighting was improved from 2015 despite several maintenance service calls, due to various reasons.
There was no new business. George Reichl moved and Susan McDonald seconded a motion to adjourn. The meeting was adjourned with a unanimous vote at 9:10 pm. - Susan McDonald-Secretary
Social Committee
Lynn Meinzer reported that the holiday party, “Jingle & Mingle,” was held Dec. 4, 2016 at the Plum Grove Banquet Center, the new name for the Plum Grove Club. The party, which 120 residents attended, came within budget to include beverages, dinner and decorations. Attendees donated $850 to the Palatine Township Needy Family Fund and $150 was given to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Special thanks were given for all -8 ! -
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Plum Grove Estates Property Owners Association ! P.O. Box 2568 ! Palatine, IL 60078-2568 ! www.pgepoa.org
Join us on Facebook!  
Go to the Friends of Plum Grove Estates and ask to join the private group.
See pages 10 & 11 for photos of the Jingle and Mingle Holiday Party. All of the pictures are posted on the website, www.pgepoa.org
HELP WANTED Do you enjoy the Kick Off to Summer and Holiday Parties sponsored by the PGEPOA each year?
PREVENT THIS:
Now is your chance to contribute to their continued success. The PGEPOA b o a rd i s l o o k i n g a n e w S o c i a l Chairperson to lead the organizing efforts for these parties. You can count on help from board and association members as you coordinate the refreshments, decorations, activities, and other functions for these events. Anyone interested in contributing their time twice a year in this role should please contact George Reichl at gcreichl@aol.com
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Tell your family, friends, neighbors, visitors, and contractors not to park on the grass.
Plum Grove Estates Property Owners Association ! P.O. Box 2568 ! Palatine, IL 60078-2568 ! www.pgepoa.org
Plum Grove Estates
Holiday Party
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Plum Grove Estates Property Owners Association ! P.O. Box 2568 ! Palatine, IL 60078-2568 ! www.pgepoa.org


Photos by Renee Coha - 11 ! -
Plum Grove Estates Property Owners Association ! P.O. Box 2568 ! Palatine, IL 60078-2568 ! www.pgepoa.org
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PGEPOA Board Meeting PGE POA General Meeting Plum Grove Park 7:30 PM (Pizza & dessert at 7:00PM) KICK - OFF TO SUMMER PARTY PGE POA Board Meeting PGEPOA Board Meeting
4/11 5/17
6/21 7/11 8/8
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PGEPOA Board Meeting
3/14
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Plum Grove Estates Property Owners Association ! P.O. Box 2568 ! Palatine, IL 60078-2568 ! www.pgepoa.org