February 2013
President's Pen

Every year I am amazed at what seems to be a time warp from the holidays to the end of January.  This year was certainly no different. I spent much of this past month reviewing great homeowner and volunteer feedback and engaging in city and community discussions about the many options for finalizing our 2013 plan. As a result, I am delinquent by a month in getting the plan posted for everyone on the web. I appreciate your patience and believe that taking the extra time will ensure a more effective and aligned plan with the needs of Heritage Greens. We'll be finalizing details this month and then post for everyone. If you'd like to hear the plan, including a great review of the new online system from Heidi, please join us at the March 14 board meeting in the community room.

While we have dealt with a couple challenges this month, I applaud the majority of residents who are renovating and are providing information to the Architectural Control Committee (ACC) well in advance. Todd Mercier (ACC chair) and his team are doing an outstanding job of increasing our responsiveness and offering helpful consultations with homeowners that are anxious to get their projects done. Please email Todd at tkmercier@msn.com or call my cell at anytime (303-570-8291) if you have feedback or need help.

While it's been quite dry this winter, snow removal is still an important part of keeping everyone safe and minimizing ice. In addition to the City's "Be a Snow Hero" program (article below), we will be asking for volunteers that we can match with residents that need help on significant snow days. If you're interested in volunteering or need help in shoveling your walks, please send me a note. I'll be working with Shawn (VP and Landscape), Rick (Safety) and Heidi (Communications) to discuss the most effective way to run this program and recognize those that donate their time. I know we'll have a huge response!

No board meeting this month so please join us in March or reach out to the Board and volunteers for anything.  Enjoy the Super Bowl and let's hope for some snow in the hills for us skiers and riders!

Jeff Rector, HOA President, HGPres@gmail.com
Swim Team Kicks Off a New Season

Planning for the 2013 Gator Swim Team is running smoothly thanks to our wonderful coaches and volunteers.  

 

For the new families in our neighborhood we would like to extend a special welcome and invite anyone interested in joining the swim team to contact us or visit our team website at  http://heritagegreens.rmsl.org  for additional information.  

 

Registration will be opening online April 1. There will be details and instructions in the HG March Newsletter and at the team website  http://heritagegreens.rmsl.org.

 

Our main coaching staff is in place and we're pleased to announce that four of our five coaches from last year will be returning this season. Chad Fesler will be stepping up to the Head Coach position, with Silas Getz, Chris McCoy and Nate Kiszla filling in the rest of our senior coach positions. We are working with our coaching team to develop a set of expectations that we believe will build on the success of the past and take our Gator team to a new level. Our coaching team is committed to planning workouts, implementing strategies to improve our children's swimming abilities, and helping every swimmer achieve their swimming goals while making the Gator Swim Team the best part of their summer!

 

We are working now to confirm all of the committee head positions. Thank you to those of you who have already committed for the 2013 season. These roles are essential to running our team. If you would like to help, please contact Holly or Sue.

 

Our Gator Pre-Team has been a great success with our young swimmers and their families and we will be offering it again this year. The Pre-Team allows an opportunity for kids who are not quite ready for swim competition to develop their swimming skills and participate in the fun of the neighborhood swim team. The goal of the program is to prepare kids to move up to the competition team by the following season or within the season if they are ready. The Pre-team swimmers will enjoy all of the fun of being a Gator, but will participate in customized practices and will not be expected to compete in meets. More information on the Pre-team can be found on the team website http://heritagegreens.rmsl.org.

 

We know many of you are already planning your summer activities.

After school practice will begin May 13 and run for two weeks until LPS schools are out on May 24. Morning practices will begin Tuesday May 28th.   As in the past, we will offer afternoon practice for those swimmers that are not on the Littleton Public Schools schedule if needed after Memorial Day.    
 
We traditionally start our season with a Fun Meet, in which just our Gators participate. The Fun Meet this year will be on Saturday May 25th. One purpose of our annual Fun Meet is to get the swimmers, families and volunteers familiar with how a meet is run without the added stress of competing against another team for the first time. The dual meets have not been finalized yet, but we will be having a meet each Saturday in June. Prelim Week will be July 8th and Finals July 13th. Our Gator Awards night will be July 13th and we hope all of the Gators can attend. A more detailed schedule will be available at registration.

 

We will be baking Gator cookies again this year to deliver to our swim team kids and help get them excited about the upcoming season. If you know of a child that might want to join the swim team, and you'd like them to be included in our Gator sugar cookie deliveries this March, please let Holly or Sue know and we'll add them to our list.  

 

Please keep in mind that our coaches love to teach private lessons and are available after swim team practices to schedule a lesson to your kids. They charge $20 for a 30 minute private lesson. This year the coaches will also be offering a package deal of 6 lessons for $100 if you want to prepay and set that up with your coach. The lessons are a great way for your kids to get that extra one-on-one help to strengthen their skills and confidence.

 

We are looking forward to a fun and exciting summer with all of you.

Please reach out to Sue or Holly with any questions or ideas.

 

Go Gators!

Sue Carothers (720) 529-8042, sailkerry@comcast.net

& Holly Malcolm (303) 808-8682, hollymalcolm@comcast.net

Parent Reps, Heritage Greens Gators

Remember to click on the advertisements you see in this newsletter to visit the advertisers' websites. Please support those companies that support Heritage Greens.

   

  
Masters Swimming

Summer is fast approaching, and the Heritage Greens Swim Team Coaches would like to offer HG residents another summer of Masters Swimming. Masters Swimming is for all ages and ability levels with on deck coaching and a structured workout regimen. Weather you swim for fitness, to train for triathlons or to compete in meets, these organized, coached workouts will be right for you.   

 

Workouts are structured to meet the needs of various levels of swimming skill and the coaches will provide adjustments for individual needs based on their ability.  It will be offered on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 6 -7 a.m. The cost is $5 per session. More information to come on when Masters Swim will start.  Anyone willing to commit for the entire summer can pay up front and will get a special discount.  

 

From all the coaches, hope to see you this summer!
Chad, Silas, Nate and Chris
 
For more information on Masters Swimming click here. 

 
 
Neighbors and Nonprofits:
Lois Lenski Elementary Bricklayer's Ball

   

Did your children attend Lois Lenski Elementary School?  

 

On February 22 the Lenski PTO is hosting  the Bricklayers Ball at Glenmoor Country Club. We are inviting all alumni and parents to attend and participate in our brick campaign. Please join us!

   

Invitation 

Buy tickets online 

 

We will be selling inscribed bricks and installing them in front of the school this summer! Don't miss this opportunity to have your children's or family's name displayed as a permanent legacy to visit for years to come!  

 

More about bricks 

Brick ideas 

Brick order form  


Questions? Contact: Lisa Morrisroe 720-201-2683  

Please Park Cars in Your Driveway

There are occasions when visitors park along the front of our homes for a few hours. Or perhaps you've just come home to quickly unload and clean a recreational vehicle. Beyond those cases, vehicles should not be parked on the sidewalk and not in front of your neighbor's home.

All homes have a minimum two car garage and two car driveway. For those with multiple vehicles and/or teenage drivers, please park their cars in your driveway. If there are unusual circumstances, please park in front of your home but not for extended periods. Vehicles which are not regularly used should be in the garage or in storage.

The majority of residents do this already but the HOA is receiving multiple complaints of cars being parked in front of other people's homes and on sidewalks. This removes the fun of cul-de-sacs for kids, creates dangerous blind spots on our through streets, and aggravates neighbors that abide by these rules.

Thanks for your proactive help on this.
  

If You Want to Build It.... Get It Approved

The Architectural Control Committee must approve all updates and changes to homes and landscaping. Requests should be made 30 days prior to work starting.

 

Requests should be submitted in writing to ACCU per the request form on the website (click here). ACCU tracks requests and forwards them to the Architectural Control Committee. The committee consists of homeowner volunteers and has 30 days to review and approve requests. Owners are not contacted during the process unless additional information is needed.

 

Paint requests should include paint samples, a website to view samples or colors painted on the side of the house. Landscaping should include detailed plans. Home additions, decks, and patios must include plans, materials, and colors.

 

If the request involves fencing or work close to property lines, a survey showing the property line should be included with the request. When necessary, county/city approvals should also be included with the request. If the request involves changes to measurable square footage of the home, it must be approved by the Board and neighbors must be notified.  

 

Click here for more information and to review all the documents before submitting your request.   

 

New Well Drilling on South Suburban Golf Course

In 2003 we experienced a catastrophic failure in the delivery piping of Well #3 at South Suburban Golf Course. This was due to the age of the steel piping of the well. This original well, which was drilled in 1972, is scheduled to be replaced beginning the first part of February. 

 

This replacement will involve some very large equipment moving to and from the site (between holes #1 and #2), delivery of large amounts of materials, and numerous vehicles moving in and out on the service road.  These operations to drill and complete the well will take nearly 30 days. Once the actual drilling begins it cannot be stopped, which means that a continuous operation for 24 hours a day for approximately four days will be required.  


The drilling company will provide noise reduction equipment, but using large equipment of this type will generate some noise. We will do all that is possible to minimize the disruption in your normal peaceful setting. The end result of this operation is a reliable water supply for many years and a view to the west that we can all enjoy.


In advance, thank you for your consideration during this time of construction.

Tom Harston, Superintendent South Suburban Golf Course

No HOA Board Meeting This Month

The HOA Board meetings have been moved to the second Thursday of the month. The meeting will start at 7 p.m. in the Heritage Greens Community Room. We will not have a meeting in February. Our next meeting will be Thursday, March 14. All residents are invited to attend. Hope to see you at a board meeting this year! 



Be a Snow Hero

The City of Centennial is encouraging local businesses and residents to be a "Snow Hero" and clear snow and ice from the sidewalks and parking lots on and near their properties.

 

The Centennial Snow Hero initiative was created in response to community input on the need for snow removal, especial in business parks and multi-family residential buildings. Centennial does not currently have a snow removal ordinance but encourages all citizens to voluntarily shovel walks directly in front of, within and adjacent to their property within 24 hours of a snow storm.

 

The City will be recognizing those who participate in the volunteer snow removal initiative and keep sidewalks on and near their property safe and clear of snow and ice. Businesses, organizations and residents can be nominated for "Centennial Snow Hero" recognition through an online nomination process. Nominees will be presented with Centennial Snow Hero window decals for display and will be recognized on the City's website.

 

For more information on the Centennial Snow Hero program and the City's Snow and Ice Plan, visit http://www.centennialcolorado.com/snowhero.

 
  
Heritage Greens Website

Visit www. heritagegreens.org

Log In Information
Each household has one account. The user name is the email associated with the address. If we have two emails for your household, only one of them will be the user name. The password is a random set of letters and numbers. If you lost your log in information please contact me at news@heritagegreens.org.

Updating Your Profile - Resident Directory
One of the first things you should do when you visit the website is update your profile. Click on Your Profile on the left at the top. Please change your password to something you can remember and fill in the remaining information.

You may choose not to show your profile or certain personal information, but I encourage you to leave all the "Show" questions as Yes. This is the Heritage Greens Resident Directory and replaces the printed book. Only residents will be able to see your information, not the public or spammers. So fill in all the details now and if you ever want to hide your information later, you may do so.

Features
  • Under Residents is information on volunteers, architectural compliance, HOA documents, upcoming social events, the pool, tennis courts and how to reserve the community room.  
  • The Message Board allows you to post your own message to the neighborhood. Be sure to click My Subscriptions at the top to choose the topics that interest you.
  • There is a Classifieds page so feel free to post what you want to sell, or what you are looking for, and be sure to include a photo.
  • There is also the Find a Sitter page where baby and pet sitters can post their information. 
  • And don't forget all the information in the Resident Directory. You can search for friends and neighbors by their name or address.
If you have any questions, problems or concerns, feel free to contact me directly.
 
Heidi Elliott, HG News & Web