penn forest streams property owners association penn ... · saturday – nov. 21st 9a.m.-3p.m....

From the President:

I hope everyone had a great summer, and here we are headed

back into the fall and winter already. The annual meeting back in

July had a long delay in the start of the meeting, as we did not

have a quorum. After many phone calls by the office staff, Board Members and other

property owners, we were able to get enough association members to sign in so that we

could hold a meeting. The meeting went well and we had good attendance at the annual

picnic. Unfortunately, we had three open seats on the Board and we did not get any

volunteers to join the Board, thus leaving us with only nine Board members. During the

annual meeting as well as comments made at the picnic, members suggested we change

the meetings from Saturday to a week night as many people have plans on the weekends

when the weather is nice. The Board discussed this option at our August meeting. It was

decided it would be a good idea to change the meeting to the second Wednesday of the

month from April to October, and switch back to the second Saturday of the month from

November to March due to the expected poor weather conditions during the evening.

Based on that change, we were able to appoint a new Board member who will be our new

Pool's Director. We now have 10 Board members with two seats still available. If anyone

is interested in joining the Board please contact the office.

Another change that was announced at the annual meeting was that Joe Bartosh was

resigning from the Board, and was hired as PFS's Maintenance Manager on a part-time

basis reporting to the President. As most of you know, Joe has contributed a tremendous

amount of his time over the years taking care of the community property and continues to

do a great job. We thank you Joe for all your hard work over the years. We have

completed a number of projects this year such as: replaced the security and snow plow

vehicles, installed new carpeting and air conditioning in the clubhouse, installed addition

lighting at the Leslie Lane Pool and upgraded our security camera system. Last year the

clubhouse basement was waterproofed, the mold was removed and four sump pumps

were installed and the water was directed away from the building. The clubhouse looks

great and our members are renting it more now for family events. The only other major

project that needs attention is the Leslie Lane pool. The pool will need to be drained in

the spring to repair many cracks, check for any major damage and reseal and paint the

entire pool. We will be getting estimates in the spring for the cost of the repairs and we

should have updates for the spring newsletter. We had major problems finding lifeguards

for the pools over the summer. We only had one and could not have kept the pools

opened with just one life guard. After consulting with our insurance company and our

lawyer, it was decided that our only option to keep the pools opened was to post "swim at

your own risk" signs and have security stationed at the pools to call for help, if needed.

We thank all the hard work by our security staff and Abe for pulling it all together. Our

new Pool's Director will be trying to find life guards for next season.

Penn Forest Streams Property Owners Association

Issue Number 11 Fall 2015

Penn Forest Streams

News and Views

OUR BOARD MEMBERS: Bill Terrano President/Roads David Pieri Vice Pres/Blding & Planning Linda DiGilio Secretary/Recreation Rachel Sargent Treasurer Alice Terrano Roads/Rules & Regulations David Starling Website Evelyn Alicea-Santiago Newsletter Carol Stohl Pools Abe Jardines Public Safety Thomas Kervick Social Welcoming

Road Report As the fall approaches we have completed all road repairs. The following is a

summary of the repairs made this summer:

Repaired 26 Pot Holes $3,000

Sealed 12 large cracks and many small cracks $3,000

Repaired the shoulder water runoff on Yellow Run $ 400

Added stone to the school bus stop areas on Leslie Lane and Jeans Drive $ 1,400

Grand Total all repairs 2015 $ 7,800

We are expecting another cold and snowy winter, and hopefully our roads will not

sustain any major damage. We will again review all PFS roads in early spring to

determine which roads will need repaving and those that need repairs. Any repaving will

be subject to the avaiable money in the budget. We are also researching a new

pavement preservation technology that seals the roads by allowing the sealer oils to

penetrate the asphalt that will make the roads last longer. We will update everyone in

the next newsletter as more information is obtained. If any one notices a problem with a

road, please contact the office.

Have a nice winter.

Thanks

Penn Forest Streams News and Views

(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1)

Another issue we would like to update everyone on is the rotting condition of the mailboxes on Leslie Lane, and

the parcel boxes that are not working on Jeans and Porter. We have been dealing with the US Post Office for two

years now with many letters being written and ignored by the Post Office. We did not get any response until we

requested assistance from Senator Toomey's office. We finally received a response and the Post Office agreed to

repair the rotting mailboxes on Leslie Lane and repair all the parcel boxes. They agreed to allow us to put a cover

over the mailboxes at Leslie lane, which we did in September. However, the Post Office never did the work they

agreed to. We are continuing our efforts to get the work done.

I would like to thank all our current Board members for all their hard work and donating their time in order to keep

our development running.

Let's hope this winter is not as harsh as the last two. Have fun during the holidays.

Bill Terrano

Please

remember our

community’s

speed limit is

15 mph!

SPEEDING AND IGNORING THE STOP SIGNS NEEDS TO STOP!!!

We have received a number of complaints from our members about excessive speeds and drivers

ignoring the stop signs. This is dangerous and someone could get hurt. The speed limit and stop signs are

there to protect our community members. Our children play throughout the community and their safety

depends on our following the rules, watching out for them and adhering to the posted speed limit. Our

security patrols cannot be everywhere at the same time. We are each responsible for maintaining order. If

you see someone speeding or ignoring the stop signs, please call the office with a description of the

vehicle so that security can keep an eye out for that vehicle. You have the option of issuing a violation to

a member if you wish and can identify the responsible owner or resident. As all private communities in

the area we follow "Clubhouse rule" which means that as owners we are each responsible for our families

and guests. Help us to continue our safe conditions by adhering to the posted speeds and stopping at the

indicated signs.


Welcome to our New Pool Director!

Hello PFSPOA!

I moved here about 1.5 years ago with my boys, CJ, 7 yrs, and Aaron, 5 yrs old. They attend the Lehigh

Christian Academy in Allentown because I like them being closer to where I work in Bethlehem. I head

up Product Development and Operations for Viddler.com, where we make interactive online video

applications for training and learning.

My busy schedule involves being a part time MBA student at Lehigh U and President of the Cornell Native American Alumni

Association when I'm not at soccer, gymnastics or swim with my boys. They love riding bikes, so please keep them in mind when

you find yourself speeding in our community.

They also love swimming, which is why I'm serving as pool director. I don't know much about maintaining pools, but I know how

to hire young people so we have lifeguards and I'll figure out the rest as we go. I look forward to meeting all of you! On Twitter

and Instagram, you can find me under canyma76 and I'm canyma on LinkedIn.

Carrie Strohl, Pool Director

Secretary’s and Recreation

Report

By Linda DiGilio

Glad that we all survived the hot summer. Hopefully it won't be an icy winter. Following are the events for

the last months of this year.

Saturday – Nov. 14th 5:30p.m.-7:30pm. Dinner IN HONOR OF OUR VETERANS – serving

chicken parmesan, spaghetti, salad, dessert and beverage. $5 per person ALL VETERANS EAT

FREE

Saturday – Nov. 21st 9a.m.-3p.m. Vendor Fair - So far the following vendors will be there: Rodan &

Fields, Skin Care Line, Mary Kay Cosmetics, Avon, Thirty One, Longaberger, Jamberry Nails, IT

Works, Skinny Wraps, Premiere Designs, and awaiting other responses from vendors. Some shop

for Christmas close to home.

Saturday – Dec. 5th 10a.m.-12noon Breakfast with Santa - serving pancakes, sausage, orange juice,

hot chocolate and coffee. There will be a gift for every child. Be sure to sign up via email or the

office giving age and gender of your children.

Saturday – Dec. 12th 7p.m.-? Adults Christmas Party - Snacks will be served. BYOB There will be

gifts for the adults. Be sure to RSVP.

Be safe this winter and enjoy all of the holidays.

Secretary Report

A BIG thank you goes out to our brave Veterans who served and are still serving our beautiful county.

May God watch over each one of you. God Bless America. Stay safe.


Maintenance Report By Joe Bartosh

A lot of clearing & sprucing up have gone on lately in the development. It starts with the warmer weather.

For the next few months we will continually cut grass at all the common areas. Tree branches around the

clubhouse area have been trimmed back to allow for better visibility of our security cameras. Installed

concrete pad at clubhouse for future project in progress. Repaired and repainted the entrance sign at Fawn

Rd. trimming & clearing done at Entrances. Cut back over growth on corner of Yellow Run rd and

Autumn Lane for safety reasons.

Trimmed back 5 trees that was leaning over the Clubhouse parking lot. Both tennis courts were trimmed

of over grown branches and weeds.

The Clubhouse parking lot has been painted & redesigned. Repaired rain gutters on clubhouse building, to

stop water from running across clubhouse parking lot. Added stone at the Leslie Lane lot. Elimanated bees

nest at Leslie Lane mailboxes.

Fixed and or repaired street signs throughout the development. Installed 2 “school bus stop ahead “signs

and 2 speed limit signs on Leslie Lane. Fixed stop signs at Wolf Dr & Cold Spring Dr. also at Panther Run

Rd & Acorn Rd. Posted “No hunting” signs throughout and surrounding the development.

Painted roads w/ 15 mph. Painted concrete yellow at 903 Main entrance .Checked roads after 2 heavy rain

falls in August picking up any storm debris. Replaced stone on sides of Yellow Run Rd due to wash out.

I would like to thank my fellow board members for all their support and for all the hard work and hours that

they volunteer.

From our Director of Security Abe Jardines

We completed our summer schedule with additional personnel to man the pool hours

and make sure the pools would be open for our residents. Additional manpower hired

yielded 2 more officers on staff and 2 seasonal members who have left us; in all we

interviewed 10 applicants. Our continued patrols make rounds monthly to cover nearly

300 spot checks. Security has issued a number of citations for speeding, 911 signs and

unkept properties, since our last report. We are constantly training and re-training

officers. Our new patrol vehicle has been received well and aside from the positive

comments we have observed vehicles traveling in our community slowing down when

it comes into view. New tires and headlights were provided and thus far our repair bills

are noticeably lower. I would expect that our budget is stressed due to the additional

manpower and requirements to meet the pool schedules however some items being

over budget does not mean we are outside of the dedicated budget overall. Recently we

added a former police officer to our staff and now we have two former officers

working for us. Our service calls have increased as more residents are requesting

intervention of some sort by our staff. It is good to be able to provide the services and

meet the demand. The increase of about 28% indicates the confidence the community has in

our ability to respond. Speeding and stop sign violations remain an issue. We continue research

on speed bumps and rumble strips as well as enhancing our camera surveillance and technical

support. Since school is open we remind all about watching for walking children along with

the usual pedestrians and canines in our travels. Your cooperation in adhering to our speed

limits will go a long way. As winter approaches I remind you to make plans to meet the

weather conditions and have an emergency plan at the ready. Security should be contacted in

event there's need to use the clubhouse during any emergency situation, a minor power outage

tested our ability to remain in service as the clubhouse generator activated and we were able to

communicate using our radio system as the cell towers were out momentarily. Have a Healthy

and Happy Thanksgiving. Enjoy the Holidays! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

If you need to contact

our PFS Security

Officers, please call

(570) 650-2437

NOTICE:

As winter

approaches, Please remove any

items placed within

5 (five) feet of our

roadways.

Items such as

basketball hoop

stands impede and

delay our snow

removal efforts.


Rules and Regulations

Submitted by- Alice Terrano

The Rules and Regulation Committee continues to review and update our community rules.

As questions arise at the monthly Board meetings, we try to discuss and address the issue to

protect our community while ensuring the peaceful quality of life that we all enjoy.

The Rules & Regulation committee is open to all PFSPOA members. We encourage all

opinions and input in reviewing our community rules. Sometimes a topic that look good on

paper has a different outcome then was anticipated. Our rules are not about regulating

behavior, but about protecting residents’ enjoyment of their homes and community and

protecting our home values.

The committee last met on October 21 at the clubhouse. We reviewed the following topics:

open burn vs. recreational burn, lot clearing permits- time limits & extensions, and rental of

clubhouse. If changes are suggested by the committee, they are presented to the Board for

approval and voted on. When changes to our rules are made they are posted on our website

(www.pennforeststreamspoa.org), and will be included in the next newsletter. A complete set

of our rules are posted on the website and can be obtained from the office.

If you are interested in providing some input or have suggestions for changes or additions to

our community rules, join us at our next meeting or send your thoughts to the office. Please

check the bulletin board and our website for future dates and times.

Attention Members:

CERT Community Emergency Response Team PFSPOA is looking to update our CERT list.

If you have been trained, please call or e-mail

the office with your name and phone number.

Thank you .

570-325-2458 or [email protected]

Web Site News

Submitted by- David Starling

We are currently working on updating the website for the property owner's association. If you

have any suggestions for the new website, please submit them to the office and your

suggestions will be considered.


The Penn East Pipeline: A Year Later

Almost one year ago to the day, the PFSPOA grappled with the issue of having the

Penn East Pipeline possibly running through the heart of the Penn Forest Streams

community. Penn East began sending certified letters to some PFS property owners in

the summer of 2014. From the information in these letters, it appeared that their area of

interest is a corridor along Fawn Road, Pin Oak Drive and Drakes Drive between route

903 and the turnpike. Thankfully, the route has been altered and the pipeline will run on

the eastern side adjacent to Route 476, as pictured above. If all approvals are given in a

timely manner, the project will break ground in the spring of 2017. In the meantime,

Penn East will continue to hear from all stakeholders. For more information, visit

penneastpipeline.com

Submitted by Evelyn Alicea-Santiago

PFSPOA Newsletter Editor since 2012


Sponsors’ Pages

Fall 2015

Sponsors’ Pages

Want to see your ad here?

Call the PFSPOA office at

(570) 325-2458


Sponsors’ Pages


Penn Forest Streams

Property Owners Association

11 Clubhouse Road

Jim Thorpe, PA 18229

Penn Forest Streams

Property Owners Association

11 Clubhouse Road

Jim Thorpe, PA 18229

Phone: (570) 325-2458

E-mail: [email protected]

www.pennforeststreamspoa.org

About Us

Penn Forest Streams is a rural community of over

700 home lots nestled in the Pocono Mountains

near Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania. The Penn Forest

Streams Property Owners Association (PFSPOA)

consists of owners in good standing.

Penn Forest Streams Important Phone Numbers

FIRE

PENN FOREST 911

TOWNSHIP

PENN FOREST FIREHOUSE 570-325-8114

(NON-EMERGENCY)

POLICE

STATE POLICE (FERN RIDGE) 570-646-2271

STATE POLICE (LEHIGHTON) 610-377-4270

PFS SECURITY OFFICER 570-650-2437

MEDICAL

PENN FOREST AMBULANCE 911

GNADEN HUETTEN HOSPITAL 610-377-1300

PALMERTON HOSPITAL 610-826-3141

POCONO GENERAL 570-421-4000

MEDIVAC HELICOPTER 1-800-322-9599

PENN FOREST TOWNSHIP

MUNICIPAL BUILDING 570-325-2768

Office Hours:

Monday 9:00 am to 3:00 pm

Tuesday 9:00 am to 3:00 pm\

Wednesday 9:00 am to 3:00 pm

Thursday 9:00 am to 3:00 pm

Friday 9:00 am to 3:00 pm

penn forest streams property owners association penn ... · saturday – nov. 21st 9a.m.-3p.m....

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