Mountain Folk News
April 2004
Make
Your Vote Count
DPHOA Board Member Election
The
Duquette Pines Homeowners Association Board (Architectural Control Board) consists
of five board members and two alternates. An alternate will fill a board member’s
position should an existing Association board member vacate his/her position,
until tenure of the position expires or another election is held.
As
property owners in Duquette Pines Subdivisions 1, 2 and 3, you have the opportunity
to elect two Board members and one alternate Board member to the DPHOA Board this
year. The seats currently held by Brent Adamson and Theresa Mann, and the alternate
position held by Mark Bailey, will be filled when ballots received by July 15,
2004 are counted. Board member terms are three years and begin August 1, 2004.
It’s important that each of us take the time to consider our vote
as major changes are continuing for the subdivision. As a result, Board members
attend not only regular and special board meetings but also community meetings,
and work on various Board and subdivision projects. All these activities require
a considerable commitment of time by each Board member.
Nominations will be opened at the annual owners meeting on May 15, 2004 and will
be accepted until June 15, 2004. Nominations may be submitted by mail, e-mail
or contacting any Board Member.
Ballots and voting guidelines will be
mailed along with the annual assessment notices at the end of June. Ballots must
be received by DPHOA no later than July 15, 2004 to be counted.
Road
Conditions
By Loyal Willis
With a few minor exceptions our roads survived the heavy snow this winter
in good condition.
One problem that surfaced for the second time in eight
years, and only twice in the past thirty years, occurred in Meadow Road, just
south of the frog pond. The spring that normally surfaces in the roadway ditch
and drains into the frog pond erupted in the middle of the road again. Plans and
a cost estimate are being developed by the Gardner Co. for construction of a deep
underground “interceptor drain” on the east side of the road. This will
intercept the spring run-off before it reaches the road and funnel it into the
frog pond that eventually drains into Elk Creek. This road construction may require
detouring Meadow Road traffic through Division 4 for short periods of time.
In addition, Western Land has agreed to install a culvert on Badger Way,
approximately 100 yards north of the19 Badger Way residence; and also to replace
a culvert that was removed from Reinhart Road approximately 200 feet east of its
intersection with Hummingbird and Badger Ways.
The final two projects
include additional surfacing of the new access road from Bullfrog Rd. that provides
access to 35 Skyline Road. There is also a drainage problem on Aspen Circle caused
by blockage of a culvert near a driveway at 90 Meadow Drive. This will be resolved
during this construction period as well.
It’s important to be alert
and drive at the speed limit at all times, but please be especially careful during
this period of road construction.
Wildfires a Threat This Summer
by Bruce Reichert
It’s April and Colorado is already on fire. Throughout the West, including
Idaho, we’re facing another drought year. While it’s wonderful living
in the woods, the threat of a major fire this summer is an increasing concern
for Duquette Pines residents.
What can we do about it?
Last
year the Board wrote to the Bureau of Land Management, which administers land
directly to the West of us, and asked them to thin or prescribe burn their holdings.
We believe a wildfire will likely come from the west, because that’s the
prevailing wind. So far, we haven’t gotten a response. But it’s essential
that they do something. It doesn’t hurt for each of us to write or call the
local BLM office and ask them to manage their holdings.
But let’s
not stop there. Studies have shown that individuals can make a big difference
on their own property. Get rid of the underbrush next to your house. And don’t
be afraid to thin your trees. This spring is a great time to do this.
One advantage of thinning is that it will limit a wildfire’s ability to race
through the canopy. Besides, these big ponderosas do better when they’re
uncrowded. If they’re not competing for water with a tree ten feet away,
they stand a good chance of fighting off the pine beetles, which have been known
to wipe out whole stands of unthinned trees in this region. Most foresters recommend
a thirty-foot distance between the big trees.
If you don’t wish
to do the thinning yourself, contact our Manager, Jim White. He'll help make things
happen. But talk to him this month, so that the Gardners can arrange to thin and
remove the trees before it gets too hot. Last spring several of us got our properties
thinned for free. The logger did all the work and got the trees for pay.
I guess my take on all this is that Mother Nature grows more trees than she
needs; her solution is the occasional wildfire or pine beetle infestation to keep
the forest in equilibrium. Most of us aren’t willing to accept those solutions,
which means we have to be willing to do our part to keep things in balance. While
no one wants to see a clear-cut -- and in fact, the Covenants forbid it -- the
Board realizes the importance of protecting our homes from wildfires.
Last year we applied for a grant to help in the thinning of our trees and undergrowth.
We weren’t one of the lucky ones, but the Boise State University person helping
us thinks we have a good chance this next cycle, in part because last October
we conducted a thinning demonstration on several properties. We’ll keep you
posted as we apply for more grants.
CC&R Violations
By
Brent Adamson
As you all know, we have restrictive covenants in this development. The original
developers of Divisions 1, 2 & 3 wrote these as they dreamed and built Duquette
Pines. Division 4 also has restrictive covenants to protect and guide the homeowners
in that area of our community. I am sure that you all know that the Board contacts
those folks who we believe are in violation of these covenants. Currently there
are issues of open storage of trash, junk vehicles, sanitary issues, and home
construction completion dates.
As a Board we do not like to pursue these
matters, as they cause tension. But we are acutely aware of our obligation to
respond to these issues as they arise. If you think we are not doing as we should,
please let us know. When a possible violation of the covenants comes to the attention
of the Board, we seek input and confirmation from other residents. If you have
received a letter from the Board addressing a potential violation, please respond;
at least then we can discuss it and share where we think the problem lies. In
every case that comes to mind we have always given extensions of time or worked
to a compromise when asked.
It is our intent to follow the covenants
and keep this a clean and comfortable place to live; not create grief or tension.