Stonecreek Homeowners Association

January 2001 Issue

Jan 25, 2001

STONECREEK NEWS

A MONTHLY NEIGHBORHOOD NEWSLETTER January 2001HAPPY NEW YEAR


DIRECTOR'S CORNER:
We approved the 2001 Annual Budget at our December Board meeting:

TOTAL INCOME $261,340

EXPENSES
Repairs & Maintenance $20,950
Service Contracts 121,918
Utilities 28,800
Administrative 62,026
Real Estate Taxes 1,800
Property Insurance 4,800
Income Taxes 450
TOTAL OPERATING EXPENSES $240,744

NET OPERATING INCOME $20,596

Borg Property Services has submitted a WIN Grant application to the Town of Gilbert for the security lighting and the signs at the pool. We do not know when the Grant Committee will meet to process our application.

Due to a recent resignation, there is now a vacant position on the Board of Directors. If anyone in interested in this position, please contact Borg Property Services.

We would like to thank Carl Feeback for donating his time and equipment last month. He power washed, caulked loose joints and painted the block wall on the west side of the common area at Juniper and Stonecreek Blvd. and the block wall across from the tennis courts. Thanks Carl - and a happy new year to you!

ASSOCIATION ACTIVITY:
Vandalism cost us $50.00 to replace another fire extinguisher at the pool.

NO CONTRACTS WERE AWARDED THIS MONTH.
WE HAVE 4 UPCOMING CONTRACTS:

Tennis court crack sealing (to be done in the spring of 2001. This will allow the avid tennis players in Stonecreek to use the Freestone Park tennis courts while our tennis courts are closed for this repair),

Install additional lighting at the pool,

Tennis court surface maintenance,

Cool deck repairs (we are in the process of obtaining bids from vendors for this major repair).

Note: the Board of Directors has a policy of reviewing all contracts yearly to insure that the contract price is in line with the market. We solicit bids when the price is too high, the quality of work is not what we expect, or we just want to insure that we have a competitive contract. We enforce this policy with all contracts.

COMMITTEE REPORTS:
Call Sharon Howes if you want information on a committee or want to join a committee (480?497?8124). Sharon will then handle the volunteer's communications between the Board of Directors, the homeowners and Borg Property Services.

ACC COMMITTEE
The committee processed the following requests:
RECEIVED: - 4 APPROVED - 4
DENIED: - 0 PENDING: - 0

Please remember that the fine for not getting approval before making an improvement that will change the appearance of your home or yard is $50.00 and that the fine escalates if it is not corrected. Correction requires ACC approval. Any ACC request made after the improvement has started (or completed) can be disapproved and the homeowner made to remove the improvement. You can get ACC forms from:
(1) Borg Property Services at 480-456?6927 or
BorgProp@AOL.COM or
(2) Frank at 480-926-4412 (Stonecreek Resident). Frank deals with ACC issues only. He is not responsible for handling other issues - like complaints about the HOA etc.
LANDSCAPE VIOLATIONS
Borg Property Services reported a total of 75 violations this month. They would like to remind homeowners that weeds are very prevalent even at this time of the year.

We would like to remind the homeowners that bare areas in the rock or grass areas are a violation of the landscape guidelines. If there are bare rock areas, please add more rock, if there are bare areas in the grass areas, grass needs to be added.

HOA WEB PAGE IS STILL ACTIVE
Visit our web site at: (all lowercase letters) WWW.NEIGHBORHOODLINK.COM/STONECREEK
New links are added monthly. Do you like our logo? (Click on "About Our Association".)

SAFE COMMUNICATION ONLINE
Did you receive a new computer for Christmas? Will your children use it to get to the Internet (or World Wide Web)? If so, parents may find these insights helpful to insure their children have a safe experience while "surfing the Web". (Adults should also keep these points in mind when putting information on the Internet.)

Always remember that anything posted on the Internet has the potential to be viewed by many people. It is therefore extremely important to not post any personal information (names, ages, E-mail addresses, phone numbers, home addresses, etc.) on the Internet unless you are absolutely sure of its safety.

CHATTING is popular with many people. This is where two or more people meet in a "room" and talk about whatever they want to talk about. Different rooms discuss different things.

When you enter a chat room, you make up a name by which you are known while you are in that chat room. Therefore, nobody really has any real idea with whom they are chatting. It is therefore extremely important to avoid giving out personal information in chat rooms.

Some chat rooms have rules and guidelines, but they are not always enforced. A chat room may or may not be moderated. Inappropriate behavior can happen in either one, but a moderated chat room has a moderator who attempts to enforce these rules and guidelines.

You can expect that your child will participate in a chat sometime. This can be an exclusive chat with an entertainer, an chat about homework, or just a group of people talking. Different chat rooms can be found any time of the day or night. Should your child be subjected to inappropriate language in a chat room the easiest solution is to leave the chat room.
INSTANT MESSAGING allows two or more users to send messages back and forth. It is like chatting, but a room is not set up so it is usually more private. It is like talking on the phone using computers instead of telephones.

Unlike E-mail, the message is received instantly. Several people may even receive the same instant message simultaneously so your kids can hold a "conference" to discuss school projects.

As above, since you do not always know who you are sending messages to, get into the habit of not sharing personal information.

E-Mail is another way for your child to talk with others. This is a very popular method of communication and is used in business, schools and in personal communication. Here one person sends a message to one or more people who then receive it when they retrieve it. (E-Mail is similar to "Snail Mail". "Snail Mail" is where you put a stamp on an envelope and send your message to someone through the US Postal Service and it is received when they retrieve it from their mail box).

Some E-Mail providers sell your E-Mail address to marketers or companies. This is like entering your name in drawing (for instance) where the sole purpose of the drawing is to get your name so that they can solicit you. If you receive unwanted messages, do not respond to the message. Responding will only let the sender know that they reached an actual person. If you can track down the company from which the message originated, you can report the inappropriate correspondence. (They call these unwanted messages "spam", which are unsolicited messages from a person or organization)

E-Mail is also a common way of spreading a computer virus, so reading an E-Mail from someone that you do not know, or whom you did not expect to receive an E-Mail from, may infect your computer system. Your best defense is to not read any attachment that an E-Mail may have until (1) you verify that you know the sender, (2) that they sent the attachment, and (3) that their computer does not contain a virus. Your best protection is to make frequent back ups of your data. You should run an Anti Virus Program frequently and keep its database up to date. (IE Norton Anti Virus releases updates to their Anti Virus Databases every 14 days because so many new viruses are found every day.)

Remember that this is the WORLD WIDE Web before you put names, addresses, etc. on the web. Anyone viewing this information could identify you for either good or harmful reasons, so always limit the amount of personal information on any web site.





A great time was had by all who attended the Cobblestone-Mineral-Flint Block Party! A special surprise was when the Gilbert Fire Department (Station 53) showed up!







A very special thank you to the neighbors that organized it and all the neighbors that attended.

The turnout was incredible! !




CHRISTMAS TREE DISPOSAL
You can dispose of your Christmas tree by dropping them off at the following locations until 1/14/2001:
* AtoZ Rental, 1313 E. Baseline Road or,
* Gilbert Municipal Center, Civic Center Drive, (South of Warner Road and East of Gilbert Road) or,
* Crossroads Park, Knox Road, just west of Greenfield Road.

CALENDAR:
January Is National Book Month
J Jan 3 - Top Notch Pest Control on site today
Jan 6 - Southeast Valley Neighborhood Leadership Nuts & Bolts (480-503-6761)
Jan 15 - Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday.
Jan 23 - Mayo Clinic Kidney Dialysis/Transplant Support Group meeting 6:00 pm (480-342-1233)
Jan 24 - Board of Directors meeting -
Mesa Public Library 6:45 PM-8:45 PM
Jan 24 - Chinese New Year
Jan 25 - Scleroderma Support Group-Mesa Lutheran Hospital 6:30-8:30 PM (480-821-9330)
Feb 7 - Top Notch Pest Control on site today
Feb 21 - Board of Directors meeting -
Mesa Public Library 6:45 PM-8:45 PM

The History of the
Christmas Tree



"The tradition of having an evergreen tree become a symbol of Christmas goes back past recorded written history.

"The Druids in ancient England & Gaul and the Romans in Europe both used evergreen branches to decorate their homes and public buildings to celebrate the Winter Solstice. Over the years, these traditions were adopted by Christians, who incorporated them as part of their Christmas holiday celebration.

"Trees used specifically to celebrate Christmas are mentioned in the early 1600's in Germany and surrounding countries. The families would set up these trees in a prominent location of their home and decorate them with colored paper, small toys, food, and sometimes candles. As these people moved or immigrated to other countries, they brought this tradition with them.

"Through the years many different things were used to decorate Christmas trees. As the world moved into the 1900's, many trees were decorated with strings of popcorn, homemade cards and pictures, cotton to look like snow, candy in all shapes and sizes, and occasionally, fancy store made glass balls and hand blown glass figurines. Candles were sometimes used, but often caused devastating fires, and many different types of candle holders were devised to try to prevent tree fires. Electric tree lights were first used just 3 years after Thomas Edison has his first mass public demonstration of electric lights back in 1879. The early Christmas tree lights were handmade and quite expensive.

"Today, Christmas tree ornaments can be found in nearly every size, color, and shape imaginable, and they are used to decorate the millions of Christmas trees used throughout the world."
http://www.merry-christmas.com/histortree.htm

SIGNIFICANT JANUARY DAYS:
The Phoenix Symphony
"Mozart's Magical Fantasy"
Accompanied by the sounds of Mozart, a faint-hearted dragon leads a young girl on a fantastic journey. SRP customers get a 20% discount. With the discount, tickets are $8 or $9.60 (each) instead of $10 and $12 respectively. Tickets and information:
602-495-1999 or www.srpnet.com/symphony.asp.
February 11, 2001

EXERCISE IN THE COLD IS OK
Exercising in the cold is OK if you protect your body from heat loss. According to the American Council on Exercise, you should:
* dress in layers that provide a trapped layer of dry air near your skin. Avoid heavy cotton sweats or any tightly woven material that will keep you wet from sweat. Many sports stores have clothes made of polyester fabrics that feel like cotton but draw moisture away from the skin.
* keep your head, hands and feet warm. A hat can prevent 50 degrees of your heat loss.
* if temperatures are around zero degrees or colder, wear a scarf or mask over your nose and mouth to warm the air you inhale.

* check temperature and wind conditions before you go out. A wind chill of minus 20 degrees or more could damage exposed skin.



POSTAL RATE INCREASE 1/7/2001
The USPS has been granted a 4.6% increase in postage which is effective January 7, 2001. The increase (or decrease) in postage varies with the class of service. With the increase, the first ounce of First Class mail will increase $.01 to $.34, while the second ounce will decrease $.01 to $.21. Postage for postcards will remain at $.22. The postage for 2# Priority Mail will increase to $3.95. A new 1# Priority Mail will cost $3.50. A $.34 stamp is available now and says "USA FIRST CLASS". A $.34 stamp will be available soon. Call
1-800-275-8777 or visit their web site (www.usps.com) for further information.
REMINDERS:
If you have any questions for the Board of Directors or comments on the newsletter, call Borg Property Services or attend the monthly Board meeting.

All residents are encouraged to attend the monthly Board of Directors meetings. Call Borg Property Services to confirm the time and location and to insure that we have available seating. You may also check our web page for meeting information.

WHO'S WHO?
Note: NEW Gilbert Numbers
FIRE/POLICE DEPT (EMERGENCY) 911
Fire Dept. (Information) 480-503-6300
Police (Information) 480-503-6500
Gilbert www.ci.gilbert.az.us
HOA www.neighborhoodlink.com/stonecreek
Voter Registration/elections 506?1511
Borg Property Services 480-456?6927
Borg Property Services - BorgProp@AOL.COM
Sean Callahan - HOA Board of Director
Jeff D'Aurora - HOA Board of Director
- HOA Board of Director
Jack Maas - HOA Board of Director
Judy Morgan - HOA Board of Director
Sharon Howes -Volunteer Committee 497-8124
Gilbert Police Crime Prevention 503-6527
Can I burn in my fire place? 506-6400
Town of Gilbert (barking/vicious dogs) 503-6500
Town of Gilbert (dead animal removal) 503-6400
Town of Gilbert (graffiti removal) 503-6500

SELLING YOUR HOME?
Please help yourself by telling your title company that a sale is pending and that they must notify Borg Property Services of the pending sale. Borg Property Services has seven (7) days to inspect your house before the sale can be completed. (House bill 2299) If the inspection must be done in less than seven (7) days because they did not notify Borg Property Services, then Borg Property Services will charge the homeowner an extra fee. Title companies have been known to ask for a rush inspection because they did not notify Borg Property Services, and the homeowner is charged the extra fee.

There is always a fee associated with this inspection. The homeowner pays this fee at closing. Contact Borg Property Services for its rates.

NEED TO CONTACT YOUR PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANY?
If you have a question or complaint concerning Stonecreek HOA, contact our property management company, which is Borg Property Services. Their office hours are 9-4 M-TH and 9?12 Friday.
Phone: (480) 456?6927 FAX: (480) 456?9439
E-mail: BorgProp@AOL.COM.
Send all correspondence and payments to:
Borg Property Services
1245 W. Guadalupe, #B6-306
Mesa, AZ 85202

APPROVED PAINT COLORS:
BASE COLORS: (Dunn Edwards or equivalent)
Pheasant, Baja White, Desert Dawn,
Navajo White, Bone China

If the house will be all one color, then no ACC approval is needed provided you use an approved Base color. If you are painting the "pop-outs" (raised stucco surrounding the windows and/or garage) an approved trim color, then you do not need to submit an ACC form.

TRIM COLORS: Original Cinnamon, Briar,
Dry Earth, Adobe South
ROOF TILE = Monier #1604 or equivalent Lifetile #108

To review these colors call Frank at 926-4412 (Stonecreek Resident). You may review the chips in his home or checked out to review at your home. Please respect Frank as a fellow homeowner and contact him only between the hours of 10 am-8 PM, Monday-Friday.

If you choose a different color than those approved by the ACC, then you must submit an ACC form with a large sample of the color you wish to use. You must allow 45 days for approval of a new color.

Homeowners have painted the following locations if you would like to drive by and check them out.
543 N. Quartz street (Baja White, trim cinnamon)
1414 E. Mineral - Bone China with Dry Earth
1501 E. Commerce - Desert Dawn with Dry Earth

NEWSLETTER DEADLINE:
Jan 10, 2001 is the deadline for all information to be in the next issue. (1268 E. Laurel Ave., Gilbert, AZ 85234