Piedmont Pines Neighborhood Association Newsletter
May, 2007 |
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Piedmont Pines Neighborhood Association Dues |
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| Dear Piedmont Pines Resident |
Happy 99th birthday to Marj Saunders. Marj has been on our Board since the association was founded in 1941. Her family and friends painted the rocks at her namesake park, in honor of her birthday and years of dedication to keeping our association thriving. Thank you, Marj!
Marj Saunders celebrates 99 glorious years
Undergrounding progress: There's been a lot going on in our association this month. We won approval from City Council to move to the next steps of our long-awaited utility undergrounding project for Phase I properties. (Click here for a complete list of Phase 1 addresses)
Residents in Phase 1 have been invited to a meeting at Montera Middle School Wednesday, May 28 at 7 p.m. to discuss details with City and utility undergrounding experts. This meeting precedes official ballots, to be mailed May 30th, when phase I residents vote to establish their assessment district.
Residents outside Phase I will not be voting, but they will get the benefit of fewer wires in our neighborhoods, which brings benefits shared by all of Piedmont Pines: clearing power lines and poles off the Ascot evacuation route, and reducing fire risk.
Reduce fire fuel: At "press" time, the Santa Cruz fire is still burning, with only 35% containment. Nearly 4,000 acres have been burned. There's a lot each of us can do to reduce the risk of another fire in our own hills. Read on: this e-news issue zeroes in on how we, as individuals and as neighbors working together, can reduce fire risk in Piedmont Pines.
Dick Spees
President, Piedmont Pines Neighborhood Association
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| Wildfire Prevention Inspections Begin June 15 |
| By Nina Johnson
The Santa Cruz fire, our warm days in May and mandatory water rationing imposed by EBMUD are reminders that the fire season is upon us. As homeowners in the volatile Hills, we are responsible to maintain fire-safe properties. Inspections begin June 15th. If your property does not pass you have 30 days to make the necessary corrections. Non-compliance after the follow up inspection will result in a fine of $200.
Schedule a day or weekend to get out and do the work. There is no better way to get a project started and finished than writing it on the calendar. If the thought of clearing your entire property is too overwhelming, break the scale of the project into smaller parts and tackle one side of your yard at a time.
Not up for the task yourself? Network with neighbors to see who they are hiring. Consider joining up with neighbors to negotiate a better price together. When you find a labor resource you like and trust, post it on our website's Open Forum.
Utilize resources available from the city and other agencies:
Debris Removal Program: Homeowners can dispose of unlimited brush and grasses in their green bins.
Wood Chipping Service: A FREE service to property owners in the high fire hazard areas. Call 510-238-7388 to schedule a pick up. This service is limited to 2 pickups per year and stacks must be in piles no greater than 4' by 4'. No plastic, leaves, or branches greater than 4" diameter.
See Defensible Space guidelines and more information at Wildfire Prevention District's website.
Nina Johnson is a Professional Organizer and Piedmont Pines Resident. Visit her website for more tips. |
| Weed Puller Tool for Loan to Piedmont Pines Residents |
Rid your property of French Broom to reduce fire hazard French broom is so flammable it has been described as "exploding" when it burns. We encourage you to remove these plants from your property to help reduce this very high fire danger. We are happy to help you identify these plants on your property, and will even loan you a tool to make removal of medium sized plants easy. French broom seedlings and young trees can be easily removed by hand. Larger plants can also be cut off at the ground if you can't pull them out, but keep an eye out for future sprouts from the base. Please help us remove these fire hazards and make our neighborhood more fire safe. Ask your neighbors to do the same, or offer to pull theirs for them. French broom growing next door knows no property boundaries when it is on fire. If you are not familiar with the invasive non-native plant French broom, you can easily learn to recognize it now. It is the plant with yellow sweet-pea type flowers that is blooming all over the hills this month. It blooms not only when it has reached its mature height of over 10 feet, but also when it is only a foot high! The seeds can remain viable for up to 80 years. One full grown plant can produce 16,000 seeds, and that is why this species is so highly invasive. If you would like to volunteer to remove French broom in the area, there is also an ongoing monthly removal program in Redwood Regional Park. Contact Elaine Geffen for more information, for help identifying French broom, or to borrow the weed pulling tool.
To learn more about invasive plants versus "planting right," resident Beth Keer recommends Plant Right's website.
Elaine Geffen is a Piedmont Pines Board Member and is chair of our Beautification Team.
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| Beaconsfield Canyon Needs Volunteers Saturday, May 31 from 9 to noon |
A small group of Piedmont Pines residents have been restoring Beaconsfield Canyon (between Ascot and Chelton) for a year, and the difference is amazing. But the weeds are back in force, invading the fields of native plants we planted in February and increasing fire risk. We need some experienced gardeners who can tell (or quickly learn) the natives from the invasives and help us give the new plants room to grow. Native plant experts will be on hand. If you don't like pulling weeds (hard to imagine), there are plenty of other entertaining jobs, like climbing the slopes to hunt down French broom and cape ivy, and clearing debris to reduce the fire hazard (especially important with fire season arriving earlier every year). Bring work gloves and hand garden tools if you have them, just yourself if you don't. We meet at the end of Beaconsfield Place, second street on the right as you go up Chelton from Ascot.
Mark your calendar-- Additional workdays in Beaconsfield Canyon this summer:
- Saturday May 31, 9-12
- Saturday June 28, 9-12
- Saturday July 26, 9-12
- Saturday August 30, 9-12
Also mark September 17, evening: At a recent meeting with the Urban Creeks Council, we determined that the next step in restoring the creek and creating an ecological preserve in Beaconsfield Canyon was to hold a community meeting to give nearby residents an opportunity to learn about the progress to date and weigh in on the canyon's future. The Friends of Sausal Creek has volunteered to host this meeting. Location is to be determined but we've set a date of Wednesday, September 17--evening. This is an early notice so you can put the date on your calendar and notify others who may be interested in attending. Please contact me if you have questions or conflicts.
Richard Kauffman is a Piedmont Pines resident who has organized the Beaconsfield Canyon restoration project.
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| Support Teen Power Project at Montclair Park |
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A group of Montclair parents joined forces with Mark Zinn, director of Montclair Park, to lure Montera Middle School teens away from the Village and into the park on minimum days (every Wednesday). This Teen Power Project began as a response to merchant complaints about kids loitering and littering, and quickly took root as a way to get kids using their after-school time more productively. The project draws 75 middle schoolers most Wednesdays who would otherwise be aimlessly roaming the Village. By April, parents had raised $750; they anticipate an annual budget of $3500 to purchase sports equipment and supplies, hold clinics and classes, hire referees for games, and add creature comforts to the park.
Piedmont Pines donated $500 seed money to encourage matching donations from Montclair Village Association (of merchants) and Montclair Safety and Improvement Council (MSIC). Last week, MSIC pledged $1,000, and MVA will discuss a donation next month.
Here's how you can help: Teen Power Project organizers developed a wish list of good quality equimpment that your donation can help fulfill
- 5 basketballs at $30 each = $150
- 5 footballs at $25 each = $125
- 5 soccer balls @$20 each = $100
- 5 frisbees @ $10 each = $100
- Tennis rackets and balls = $200
- Frisbee golf course= $200
Items not yet priced out:
- Volleyball net and ball
- Lacrosse equipment
- Jump ropes
- Awnings, canopy for sun or rain
Make donations payable to Montclair Recreation Center, with Teen Power Project in the memo, and mail to Montclair Recreation Center, 6300 Morage Ave., Oakland CA 94611. For more information, call Mark Zinn at 510 482-7812 or e-mail Mimi Rohr.
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| Help design Streetscape Master Plan for Montclair Village |
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Mark your calendar: Wednesday, June 11, 6:30 - 8:30, Zion Lutheran Church, 5201 Park Blvd (just below Hwy 13). Plenty of free parking.
The Montclair Village Association (MVA) and Montclair Safety and Improvement Council (MSIC) are co-hosting a meeting to get ideas from merchants and shoppers on ways to improve the look, ambiance and safety of our Village. From the survey we conducted on this subject among Piedmont Pines residents two years ago, we know you have strong feelings and ambitions for a better Village. Come share your ideas.
By the end of this first meeting, ideas will be sorted for feasibility and priority so that Leslie Golden, an Oakland-based landscape architect, can put together drawings and costs for presentation at a follow-up meeting later this summer. The outcome of these two meetings will form the basis of a Streetscape Master Plan, leading to funding applications, permits and awarding of contracts.
Streetscape participants will be looking at ideas about improving safety; better signage; more attractive "furnishings" like bike racks, newspaper stands and benches; security; ambiance; views; activities; parking. You name it. Let's hear from you.
For more information, contact Roger Vickery, Executive Director, Montclair Village Association. Phone: 510.339.1000 | |
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Robbie Neely, Editor
Piedmont Pines Neighborhood Association
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