newsletter january '19 - northtown85022.org€¦ · northtown news january 2019 3 “letters...

If you would like to receive this newsletter by email, please send a request to [email protected]. Please write “Newsletter” in the subject line. Note: the electronic version is in color!

Northtown News Official Publication of Northtown Homeowners’ Association, Inc.

A 55 Plus Community 2202 E. Waltann Lane, Phoenix, Arizona 85022

Phone: 602-404-2489 Fax: 602-493-2510 E-MAIL: [email protected]

Volume 51 Northtown85022.net Issue 1

January 2019

Important Dates

Board of Directors Meeting Tuesday, January 8th at 6:30 PM

PNP Quarterly Meeting

Monday, January 7th at 6:30 PM (Hours Reported)

NORTHTOWN NEWS JANUARY 2019 2

Contacts: If you need assistance with any issue regarding Northtown, our board members are available to assist you.

Diane Hoverson, President (2020)* 602-743-9400

Sheila Ruling, Vice President (2021)* 602-494-9979

Diane Guillaume, Secretary (2019)* 623-255-8732

Joni Zarco, Treasurer (2019)* 602-482-2968

Julie Cicero, Architectural Control (2021)* 480-584-1568

Frank Vance, Roads and Grounds (2020)* 602-265-3393

Pam Shirvinski, Pool Director (2020)* 480-516-1711

Special Committees: Sharon Dreyer – Compliance Manager 602-481-5569 Stephanie Shink – Social Manager 602-689-1786 Doug Snyder – Roads & Grounds Assistant 602-923-9892

Additional Contacts:

Bob Carver, Street Lighting 602-787-0016 Patrick McHugh, Facilities Maintenance 602-341-0499 Al Dotson, Clubhouse Event Coordinator 602-614-2775

* Denotes Term end.

Office Email: [email protected] Newsletter Email: [email protected]

Newsletter Information: To submit information for publication in this newsletter, please send information to: [email protected] Information must be submitted each month if you have a recurring item. Submissions must be in Word or similar format and must be received by the 20th of each month. Anything received after the 20th will not be published until the next edition. If you do not have email, please call Naomi at 602-971-6779. If you would like to place an advertisement in the newsletter, please call Naomi at 602-971-6779 or email [email protected]. Resident business cards are at no cost. Full page, ½ page and business card rates are published in the advertising section of this newsletter. Newsletter Staff:

Editors Beverly Bernal, Stephanie Shink, Naomi McCarthy Publishers, Kathleen Brezina, Stephanie Shink

Emergency Numbers: Police, Fire, Medical Emergency 911 Crime Stop 262-6151 Animal Control 506-7387 Poison Control 253-3334 Power Outage: APS 371-7171

2018 HOA Assessment Amounts: Annual $540.00 Semi Annual $270.00 Quarterly $135.00 Monthly $ 45.00 Osselaer: PO Box 61475, Phx AZ 85082 602-277-4418


“LETTERS TO THE EDITOR”

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year from the Newsletter Staff. A big thanks goes out to the newsletter delivery staff: George and Linda Olson, Nora Curtin, Pam Shirvinski, Peggy Pennington, Rahne Gigous, Peter Reithinger, Doug Snyder, Patricia Bowen and Carmen Hernandez. They do a fantastic job of getting the newsletter delivered for you all to enjoy. We appreciate their dedication – beyond words! Naomi, Beverly, Kathleen & Stephanie

*********** Good News for the New Year! Santa came to Northtown and finally put in place a path to restoring one of our best assets – yes, the pool! Where others attempted for over a year to create a plan to return our pool, this Santa took less than 5 weeks. Where others wrote in the August 2018 Northtown Newsletter that repairs “were now a total over $89,000” instead of the budget of $50,000, this Santa has negotiated with a two-time reported commercial 5-Star Pool Contractor for a total price of $46,300. WOW! Under budget. Thank you Santa! This Santa also insisted that the recommended corrections by two engineering firms be included in our contract. Santa had the good sense to have Northtown’s attorney review the contract. The Attorney recommended incorporating addition terms to ensure Northtown homeowners protection. Those terms are now part of the binding contract, signed by all parties, with a projected completion date of May 2019. Oh! By the way, this Santa looks very much like our very own Diane Hoverson. Thank you Diane and A Happy New Year. Peter Amato, Lot # 211F

*********** As many of you know I have resigned my seat on the Board. I enjoyed my time on the board but it was time to move on. I want to say thank you to all of the great people I met and worked with. Thank you Northtown. Terry Sorenson, Lot #100

*********** Thank you to all Members who attended the Annual Members’ Meeting. The Potluck desserts were varied and delicious, and enjoyed by all. Stephanie Shink, Lot #158 From the editor: The above, “Letters to the Editor”, Editorials are strictly the opinion of the person(s) submitting the article(s). It in no way reflects the official views, records, or decisions of the Northtown Homeowners’ Association, its Board of Directors, and/or the newsletter staff.


President’s Perspective: Diane Hoverson 602-743-9400 Northtown Residents, Happy New Year! The future looks bright! The new HOA Board and Special Committee members are so excited to serve our community. We will work hard to gain your confidence. We want you to know that we want to hear from you. When you have ideas or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us. The pool contractor has submitted our request for relevant permits to the County. As soon as the permits are received, the pool construction can begin! Yea! “Communication” is our word of the New Year, 2019! Let the fun begin! Architectural Control: Terry Sorensen (2018) Year to date, we had 30 Architectural Control requests compared to 36 year to date in 2017. That is an approximate decline of 17% year over year. Only 2 requests were denied. This year we received 4 requests for solar as compared to 1 in 2017. Treasurer’s Report: Susan Armstrong Osselaer sent out the new coupons for your HOA assessment. The monthly amount was increased to $45. Pleases make your checks payable to Northtown HOA and mail to: Osselaer Property Management, PO Box 61475, Phoenix, AZ 85082, Phone: 602-277-4418 If your bank makes automatic payments for you, please notify them of this change. As of this writing we only have the November Financial Reports. These reports are filed in the binders along the wall as you come in the front door of the Clubhouse.

Ø Balance Sheet – Operating is $122,516.71 Ø Balance Sheet – Reserve is $165,340.58

Compliance Report: Susan Armstrong There were 11 Requests for Compliance this year. This resulted in 46 first notices sent out. Most were for weeds or grass, and 1 for underage children. A second notice was sent out for the children complaint.


Roads & Grounds: Frank Vance 602-265-3393 Happy New Year from Roads and Grounds, We hope you have enjoyed your Holidays. Perhaps our focus on the Season has contributed to the fact that December was a relatively quiet month. Only one issue was directed to us for our attention. At the Member’s Meeting on December 18th, one resident reported that there is no STOP sign at Greta and 22nd Street. We plan to correct this and hopefully have a new sign at that location in the near future. If you are aware of any concerns that our committee needs to address, please be sure to let me know, and we will respond as soon as we can. I can be reached at (602) 265-3393. You can also reach me by email at [email protected]. If you choose to use email, please be sure to put something in the subject field that will help me to know that it is a Roads and Grounds concern. In the coming months, we should begin to hear more discussions concerning the prospect of establishing an improvement district with the City of Phoenix. The idea is that the City will assume responsibility for the care of our streets. Of course, there are many details that have to be determined as we work through this process. Whatever we end up doing, it will be up to all of us to be informed and aware so we can, as a community, make decisions that will provide the greatest benefit for everyone in Northtown. Once again, I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to our efforts. In the few short months since I assumed chairmanship of this committee, I have been very impressed with the help and support that makes this committee work so well.


COMMUNITY INTERESTS: (This section of the Newsletter relates to Resident Organizations / Clubs / General information and is not “Official Association Business.”)

VALENTINE’S DAY DANCE with LIVE DJ Saturday, February 16, 2019

NORTHTOWN CLUBHOUSE 7:00 PM - 9:30 PM (See next issue for more details)

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC


DECK THE HALLS

HOLIDAY LIGHTS WINNERS: Al Tulliana (2149 E Betty Elyse), Liz McNamara (15630 N 23rd St), Larry & Carla Razny (15436 N 23rd St), and Maryanne Youngblood (15629 N 20th St). Please be sure to drive by each and see their beautiful lights. All winners received a $25 Gift Card from Fry’s.

CUTE DOG CONTEST WINNER: Lacy is my name and I am the winner of a $25 Gift Card from Fry’s. My people are Patrick and Diane McHugh, who will use this gift card to buy me many, many, many dog treats. Woof Woof!!

IT’S HERE - THE CUTE-CAT CONTEST! To be sure, we couldn’t leave out these guys and gals. Please start putting your favorite photo of your cat(s) on the Clubhouse bulletin Board. Write your name and lot number on the back of the photo. All photos will be given a number and residents can vote by filling out the form provided and placing it in the container. Winner will be announced at the Valentine’s Dance.

BINGO Come be a Winner! Sundays, January 13th and 27th from 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM at Northtown Clubhouse. Bring your family and friends and enjoy the fun! Lots of prizes, 50/50 Raffle and more. Bingo cards will be three for $5 or $2 each. Your participation means we will be able to continue Bingo. We need volunteers to help with this event. Please call Stephanie at 602-689-1786 to let her know how you can help.


NORTHTOWN COMMUNITY BLOCK WATCH/PNP: Joann Cellers 602-482-6112 Wishing you all a Happy New Year. Our Quarterly meeting will be held on January 7th at 6:30 PM. I’m working on getting a speaker, so it will be a surprise when you come to the meeting. Be sure to come and give your quarterly hours of patrolling for October., November, and December. Things have been quiet in our neighborhood. Koffee Klatch included our Black Mountain Community Action Officers, our Assistant Chief, Mary Roberts, and our Commander, Tom Van Dorn, at their Christmas luncheon. We held a Cookie Drive, boxed and sent them to the two Black Mountain precincts. We also sent a few containers of cookies to the downtown office. KOFFEE KLATCH: Peggy Pennington, President 602-317-2562

Koffee Klatch will be starting off the New Year on Thursday, January 3rd, 2019. This will be our January Birthday celebration which will be held at our Northtown Community Clubhouse at noon. Lunch will be provided by Koffee Klatch volunteers. All Northtown ladies are welcome to come. Please remember that our dues are $ 1.00 per meeting and every Thursday (except the first one of the month) is Brown Bag. Let's hope the New Year finds us all happy and healthy! QIGONG is good for physical health, balances the emotions and elevates the spirit. AND, IT’S FREE! So join us at the Clubhouse at 10 AM every Friday. Newcomers are always welcome. Give me a call if you have any questions. 1-520-319-0506 Kathleen Brezina Lot #188 ATTENTION: NORTHTOWN BOWLERS Looking to have some fun? Maybe get a little exercise? If you're interested, please let me know. Peggy Pennington, Lot #221 602-317-2562


NEIGHBORS HELPING NEIGHBORS

NORTHTOWN TRANSPORTATION I’ve been trying to come up with something I can do that would be helpful within my community and it occurs to me that I can offer my time to transport Northtown neighbors to and from the grocery store, doctors’ appointments, to the polls to vote, etc. (free of charge). I cannot do airport runs, mainly because my back doesn’t allow me to lift things. Give me a call if you need a lift, or maybe two or three would like to go grocery shopping at the same time. If I don’t answer, it’s probably because you’re not on my Caller ID, but leave a message and I’ll get right back to you. See you soon. Ann Harper, Lot #93 480-652-6002

Liz McNamara’s church, The Shelter, has a “Community Service” program where several members come to Northtown the first Saturday of every month to help neighbors in need with yard or household chores. Call Liz at 602-971-3893 mid-month, and she will see that your name gets on the list for the next first Saturday. They can only help 4 -5 homeowners each visit, depending on the jobs, so First Come – First Served.

Attention all Dog Walkers

It’s the law!! Pick up after your dog, take it home and put it in your own trash barrel (not at the Clubhouse). Poop not picked up is a health hazard to you and your dog. Please be a responsible pet owner. There are still MANY sightings of stray poop are being reported. We don’t want POOP taking over our world.


To all those with broken bones and injuries

and those with wheezes and sneezes . . .

Get Well Soon, We Miss You!

To all those born in January!


COYOTE ALERT

PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL COYOTE SIGHTINGS IN THE

NEIGHBORHOOD.

PLEASE DO NOT LET YOUR PRECIOUS PETS OUT ALONE, EVEN IN YOUR OWN YARD.


Northtown Organizations and Clubs: Northtown has several organizations and clubs that operate within the boundaries of Northtown, but are not an official part of Northtown Homeowners’ Association. They are as follows: KOFFEE KLATCH: Meetings are held every Thursday at noon in the Northtown Clubhouse. This group is open to all women in the Northtown community. We share our life experiences and are always looking for ways to improve ourselves and our neighborhood. We collect non-perishable food items for St. Vincent DePaul Society. During the holidays, we contribute to various charities. We host guest speakers, and frequently, Black Mountain Police Precinct officers visit to keep us informed on ways to keep our community safe. The first Thursday of each month, we celebrate Birthdays for that month. Lunch is provided by Koffee Klatch volunteers; other Thursdays are Brown Bag (bring your own lunch). Dues are $ 1.00 per meeting. NORTHTOWN COMMUNITY BLOCKWATCH/Phoenix Neighborhood Patrol (PNP) This group is registered with the Phoenix Neighborhood Patrol Organization – ID# 1323. Block Watch/PNP members patrol Northtown to be the “eyes and ears” for the Black Mountain Police Precinct. This group started in 2001 and has continued patrolling, applying for grants to buy safety and security items such as motion detector lights, dusk to dawn lights, and more. These are yours for the asking when available. For more information, or to be trained to follow the BW/PNP guidelines, please contact Joann Cellers at 602-482-6112 or e-mail [email protected]. QIGONG: Qigong is slow and gentle movement combined with conscious breathing. There are both seated and standing exercises. We meet Friday mornings at 10:00 AM in the Clubhouse. These lessons are taught by Kathleen Brezina who is a Certified Qigong Instructor. There is no charge. CARDS AND GAMES: Several different groups have regular cribbage, poker (nickel, dime, and quarter), Pokeno (pennies) & LRC (quarters) games. See the calendar on the back of the newsletter or on the bulletin board in the Clubhouse (near the kitchen). SUNSHINE CLUB: The Sunshine Club sends cards, offers assistance during a time of illness and acts as a Welcome Wagon for new neighbors. The Sunshine Club collects cans to recycle for cash, which is used for postage, cards, etc. Please donate cans in the collection container at the Clubhouse. If you are in need of their services, or would like to help, contact Kitty Cordasco 602-569-5266. BIBLE STUDY: Bible Study I meets at 10 AM each Tuesday in the Card Room. Bible Study II, a non-denominational Bible study group, meets at Maria Mascorella’s house at 7 PM the second and fourth Monday of each month.

newsletter january '19 - northtown85022.org€¦ · northtown news january 2019 3 “letters...

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