DESERT PRINCESS Country Club & HOA Newsletter May/June 2014
Come and play!
HOA Administrative Office
28-211 Desert Princess Dr. Cathedral City, CA 92234 Phone (760) 322-1907 Fax: (760) 327-9699 Hours: Mon - Fri 8 am - 4 pm Closed weekends & holidays
Community Manager
Jessica Vela, CCAM®, CMCA®, ext. 102 jvela@desertprincesscc.com
Controller
Pamela Jaymes, ext. 103 pjaymes@desertprincesscc.com
Director of Marketing Grace Taylor Segal, ext. 108 gsegal@desertprincesscc.com
For Work Orders Facilities / Landscape / Pools Golf Course Maintenance
Phone: (760) 322-1907 or submit online at: www.desertprincesslive.com
Patrol Services - Vista Chino Gate Phone: (760) 322-0441 Frank Starkey, Post Commander fstarkey@desertprincesscc.com
Member Relations
Maria Cintron, ext. 104 mcintron@desertprincesscc.com
Country Club
28-555 Landau Blvd. Cathedral City, CA 92234 Phone (760) 322-1655 Fax: (760) 322-2741 Reception Hours: Daily 8 am - 4 pm
Country Club Manager
Brandon O’Neill CMAA®, AGM®, ext. 132 boneill@desertprincesscc.com
Member Guest Services/ Executive Assistant
Phone: (760) 778-3624 Hours: 7 am - 3 pm Daily
Golf Shop
Phone: (760) 322-2280 Tee Times (760) 322-7779 Hours: Open Sun - Saturday 6 am - 5 pm Rand Veal, Director of Golf rveal@desertprincesscc.com
Tennis & Athletics
Jim Carvajal, ext. 127 jcarvajal@desertprincesscc.com
28-600 Isleta Court Phone: (760) 322-5178 Hours: Mon - Fri 6 am - 7 pm - Summer Hours TBA Sat & Sun 7 am - 5 pm Charlie Moore, Director of Tennis & Athletics cmoore@desertprincesscc.com
Executive Chef
Spa
Dori Petee, ext. 121 dpetee@desertprincesscc.com
Director of Food & Beverage
Alexander A. Cabrera, ext. 143 acabrera@desertprincesscc.com
Clubhouse Bar
Ext. 128 Hours: Sunday - Saturday 10 am to Close
Clubhouse Dining
Leon’s at Desert Princess For Reservations, (760) 325-5002
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner & More in May
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Lagos Café
Open Wednesday through Saturday - 7 am – 9 pm Sunday, Monday, Tuesday - 7 am – 6 pm Sunday Brunch - 10 am - 2 pm Happy Hour Monday - Friday - 3 - 6 pm
28-600 Isleta Court Phone: (760) 322-2293 Hours: Monday - Sunday 9 am - 6 pm Summer Hours TBA Merryl Rose, Spa Manager mrose@desertprincesscc.com
Summer Hours Starting June 1
Open Every Day 6 am to 2 pm We'll be serving patrons on the patio and in the Masters Lounge.
Marilyn J. White President Ray Brown Vice-President Bill Bender Treasurer, Secretary Tim Gaffney Director Tim Dermody Director Don Milligan Director Michelle Simson Director bod@desertprincesscc.com
OUR MISSION: Ensure the Desert Princess enhances owners’ asset values by providing quality venues, amenities, and activities with a sustainable level of service to the satisfaction of our owners, their guests and our public.
OUR VISION: Continue making the Desert Princess the best-value lifestyle community in the greater Palm Springs area. Editor & Graphic Designer
An opportunity to sell your services to all your neighbors with a print circulation that reaches our 1084 homes, our Clubhouse and HOA front desks, and beyond! Your ad would be seen online across the Coachella Valley and the far reaches of the Internet. For information or to place an ad, please call Dori at 760-322-1655 or visit Desert Princess Country Club’s Front Desk. *Deadline for all ad contracts and artwork is the 10th of the month for inclusion in the next month’s edition.
Grace Taylor Segal
ADVERTISING DISCLAIMER
Published by
The Desert Princess Homeowners Association makes no representations and gives no warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the information in the advertisements provided herein.
Desert Princess Homeowners Association 28-211 Desert Princess Dr., Cathedral City, CA 92234
© 2014 by Desert Princess. All rights reserved.
By publishing this information, Desert Princess HOA gives no recommendation or endorsement of any company, service or product promoted in ads that appear in The Royal Page.
The Royal Page is now published electronically. Links to a downloadable and interactive issue of the publication is emailed to Homeowners. Printed copies are available either for pick-up at the HOA or Country Club reception or upon request, via U.S Postal Service. This distribution method of your community magazine provides the Association with a significant savings in printing and mailing costs. If you would like a hard copy of the magazine, call Dori Petee at 760-322-1655 or email her at dpetee@desertprincesscc.com. rp_0514_v4
www.desertprincesscc.com
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FROM THE PRESIDENT Dear Homeowners: As many of you may be aware, recently, the Board of Directors reappointed and/or ratified various Members onto committees. Some of our committees are “Standing” while other are “Ad Hoc/Advisory” type committees that are technically temporary committees established by the Board to address specific issues. At its April 25th meeting, the Board appointed the following homeowners to the following committees:
2014-2015 ALC Committee Donna Fisher – Chair Roz Veltri Pam Meadows Toshie Sweeney Ron Rankin Roger Talman Bill Bender – BOD Liaison Jessica Vela - Staff Liaison
2014-2015 Audit Committee Bill Bender – Chair Ray Brown Tim Dermody Pamela Jaymes - Staff Liaison
2014-2015 DP Patrol Services Doug Ashbridge - Chair Dick Rennick Jay King James Gordon Hutch Sakaijian Jim Miller Jon Rock Michelle Simson – BOD Liaison Jessica Vela - Staff Liaison
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2014-2015 F&B Committee Manny Quintillan –Chair Cheryl Erskine Jan McCabe John Wong Richard Erk Kathleen Erk Dave Bryan Peggy Geissler Gail Fairburn John (Pat) McNeal Ray Brown – BOD Liaison Brandon O'Neill - Staff Liaison
2014-2015 Finance Committee Bill Bender – Chair Bill Steele Jake Bader Henry Kras Anne Lippert Randie Henry Norman Lubke Don Haney Pamela Jaymes - Staff Liaison
2014-2015 Greens Committee Fred Elliott – Chair Shaun Pulice Cheryl Erskine Ron Fisher Ron Fairburn Robin Rexius Pete Olbin Bill Bender – BOD Liaison Jonas Conlan - Staff Liaison
2014-2015 Member Governance Committee Bill Steele – Chair Carlie Tronto Roland Ewert Rollin Swaim Don Milligan – BOD Liaison Jessica Vela - Staff Liaison
2014-2015 Men’s Golf Tournament Committee Joe Heil - Chair Willi Gibson Jack Dyrness Tony Pulice Greg Cunningham Jeff Wing Ron Fisher Rollin Swaim Don Milligan – BOD Liaison Rand Veal - Staff Liaison
Ad Hoc Committees have limited duration. Entire committees may be dissolved or decommissioned at any time with or without prior notice or cause. Recently, due to limited volunteer participation or activity within the committees, the majority of the Board approved dissolution of the Community Modernization, Club Activities and Marketing Committees. In the event that additional assignments are warranted/created, the needed committees can be reformed by the Board of Directors. We appreciate the time and effort that has gone in to all the committees of this community. We continue to encourage all volunteer homeowner to remain actively involved with sending in their volunteer applications to the Association for record keeping. This will also help the Chairpersons appoint new members when and/if seats become available on any given committee.
2014-2015 Super Golf Committee Joe Heil - Chair Jack Dyrness Greg Cunningham Robin Rexius Fred Elliott Carlie Tronto Ron Fairburn Donna Fisher Jerry Lundberg Don Milligan – BOD Liaison Rand Veal - Staff Liaison Jonas Conlan - Staff Liaison
MARILYN J. WHITE
President, Desert Princess Board of Directors bod@desertprincesscc.com
www.desertprincesscc.com
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FROM THE COMMUNITY MANAGER " The good you do today will hopefully not be forgotten tomorrow, so do right by others…" It seems like the end of the season never fails to amaze me. So much has gone on this last year, both good and bad. I am truly fascinated by this community. I have now been a part of the DP workforce for seven (7) years and appreciate every year you homeowners have allowed me to oversee your community. It is an enjoyment seeing homeowners arrive for the start of season and yes at times a lonely vibe comes along when many of you prepare for your summer departures. However, contrary to what many may believe, our summers here are just as busy as our seasonal months when a vast majority of homeowners and/or guests are in town. During the summer staff takes advantage of performing extreme maintenance throughout the community. This includes the excavation of leveling the dirt around the trash enclosures and dwelling units, cleaning of gutters, paint touchups, resurfacing of common area pools and spas, low water scape conversions, pavement repairs/sidewalk repairs, general building
maintenance, and so forth. The list can go on and on...
I wanted to take a moment to address some homeowner concerns pertaining to the recent and scheduled condo garage area landscape conversions. A couple of months ago, the Board of Directors were presented with a BAI for a request to continue converting certain landscaping areas around the garages to low water scape (desert scape). This project was to include a total of fourteen (14) garage areas. With this request, the Association had also received an approval from CVWD qualifying us for rebates on all 14 conversions. In addition to this, the 6
rebate was to help offset the overage incurred on the conversion along the outer perimeter wall of Vista Chino. Below is a recent post we had updated homeowners with on the garage area conversions: “In efforts to comply with the upcoming water conserving mandates, your Board of Directors, Managers and Grounds crew have been diligently working to help the environment and cut rising material and maintenance costs by converting several condo garage areas to desert landscape. While some garage backsides (not fully visible from the street) may look bare now please know that during the year, as weather permits, annuals and other rock like materials may be added to the area. The initial drought tolerant plants and desert gold ground covering are in place now as we enter into the heated months. The current landscape layout you see was the requirement from CVWD in order to receive the rebates for these conversions. The Board of Directors and Staff have every intention of keeping your Community as aesthetically appealing while conserving elements and reducing cost. We appreciate everyone’s support in our efforts and hope you continue to be a part of making this Community the BEST it can be.” Staff has every intention to continue with these projects as it will help sustain your future maintenance costs. Another item coming up this summer is the hazardous tree removal project around the community. You may have observed a couple hundred trees that have been marked for removal. Those marked trees are either (a) hazardous, (b) deceased) and/or (c) pose a safety/liability
Golf Course Superintendent Jonas Conlan
Desert Princess staff and residents spoke to homeowners about the Community Wide Irrigation Project on April 19 at a Town Hall meeting.
concern. Somewhat along the lines of what the Vintage Club started last year, DP will continue in their footsteps. A quick synopsis is as follows: Last year, on the Mountain Course (the other is Desert Course) they worked on three (3) holes and added 4 1/2 acres of landscape and added a stream between two holes. They also removed a bunch of "badaged-deceased" trees. This year they are continuing the renovation with another twelve (12) holes and adding about fifteen (15) more acres of landscape. They are taking out turf and reducing their watering, even though they are adding a lot of landscape. Their labor is high but that is what they want. Our GC Superintendent, Jonas Conlan, is planning on visiting again during the construction portion and viewing their work. They are having a golf course construction company do the work. It's a very impressive task and should turn out beautifully based on previous work they have done. On Saturday, April 19th, staff along with volunteer homeowners Fred Elliott and Robin Rexius, hosted its first of four “informational” Town Hall Meetings pertaining to the Community Wide Irrigation Project. Although the meeting was held towards the end of the season, it was well attended by almost fifty (50) homeowners. Due to costs associated with use of the Vista Room in the hotel, we were unable to set up a conference call for those homeowners that would have liked to join the meeting via telephone. The good thing as I’ve stressed before is the fact that we will be having a series of meetings concerning this project. The second meeting is scheduled for early/mid November 2014. Based on some of the
inquiries made at our last meeting, we hope to have additional information for homeowners and as usual welcome, constructive feedback to help us improve the style and information provided at these meetings. Please remember that Town Hall Meetings are not Board Meetings, so the setting is somewhat different. Also, for November's Town Hall, there will be a teleconference call in number set up and ready to go for those homeowners that would like to listen in during the meeting. “Never surrender your hopes and dreams to the fateful limitations others have placed on their own lives. The vision of your true destiny does not reside within the blinkered outlook of the naysayers and the doom prophets. Judge not by their words, but accept advice based on the evidence of actual results. Do not be surprised should you find a complete absence of anything mystical or miraculous in the manifested reality of those who are so eager to advise you. Friends and family who suffer the lack of abundance, joy, love, fulfillment and prosperity in their own lives really have no business imposing their selflimiting beliefs on your reality experience.” -Anthon St. Maarten
JESSICA VELA Desert Princess Community Manager
jvela@desertprincesscc.com
www.desertprincesscc.com
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COUNTRY CLUB MANAGER’S REPORT As we move closer to the summer months and our season winds to a close, I would like to thank everyone for their support over my first season here at Desert Princess. Many of you have taken the time to come to my office and offer feedback and for that I could not be more grateful. When coming into a new property there is so much to learn and the fact that many of you shared stories with me about your experiences and your vision of the future made the transition much easier. Mother's Day is right around corner, Sunday May 11, and we would love to host you and your family for Mother's Day Brunch. Mother's Day Brunch will be our last brunch of the season and the cost is $29.95++ for adults and $14.95++ for children 12 and under. Please make your reservations today and we look forward to hosting you. When our season comes to an end, our business here at Desert Princess starts to slow down considerably as well. That being the case, we came up with several different options for the restaurant hours over the summer months. We felt that with where we are year- to-date financially in Food & Beverage, we needed to find ways to save additional dollars over and above what we had forecasted. We went through this process with a couple of questions in mind. One, how can we save money over the summer? Two, how can we make sure that we provide hours of operation for the homeowners who are here throughout the summer and want to be able to eat and grab a drink after their round? And three, how can we make sure that we take care of and be fair to those employees that work hard for you through the rest of the year? Our summer restaurant hours will begin June 1st, and the hours will be 6 am-2 pm ,seven days a week. All of the food throughout the summer will be cooked out of
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the Lagos Café and we will close the main kitchen. In order to save additional monies, we have decided not to serve any food in the clubhouse. All of the food for the summer months will be served on the patio or in the Masters Lounge. It costs us nearly $6,000 a month to air condition the clubhouse and moving the food service will allow us to save most of those dollars. We will continue to offer Bingo on Wednesday nights in the Masters Lounge if we have 40 or more people signed up, so please make it a point to make your reservations early throughout the summer. See you in the fairway,
BRANDON O’NEILL Country Club Manager
boneill@desertprincesscc.com
Calling Community Photographers! Do you enjoy taking photos? If so, we could use your help! Photograph community events and you may see your photos published in The Royal Page, on the Association website and other Desert Princess publications! Please call Dori at 760-322-1655 if you are interested. Email your best shots to gsegal@desertprincesscc.com. No guarantee of publication implied.
FROM THE CONTROLLER Notice to all homeowners using online bill pay to remit assessments: Our bank, Pacific Western, has changed the address of where lock box deposits are processed. The correct address is on your coupon booklet. However, if you use online bill pay, the address you entered (probably some time ago) may need updating. The bank has been forwarding the payments to the new address, however, they will not continue to do this as of September 2014.
The correct address where your remittance should be addressed to is:
Desert Princess HOA c/o Pacific Western Bank PO Box 80242 City of Industry, CA 91716-8242
Thank you. PAMELA JAYMES Controller
pjaymes@desertprincesscc.com
We Want to Know What You Think! Please share your take on our Food & Beverage services by taking a three-minute online survey. Just visit this address and answer a handful of questions. It will help us to create an even better community for you.
http://tinyurl.com/lsb3kmp www.desertprincesscc.com
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FROM THE MARKETING DIRECTOR Welcome to the world of Desert Princess Marketing! This is my first article for The Royal Page and I’m excited to tell you about some of the exciting new Marketing endeavors we are implementing. First, a little bit about me. I’ve worked with Desert Princess since November 2012. My background is in hotel sales and marketing (I even worked for two years at the resort next door—at that time a DoubleTree Hotel!). After a dozen years in that industry, I started my own marketing consulting business, and for the past 15 years have been working with businesses to help them market and promote their properties and services effectively. As we start to evaluate the marketing initiatives we executed in Fiscal Year 2014 and use that information to make plans for FY 2015, we are making a few immediate changes/additions that will bring our marketing efforts to the next level. Among these new are: •
The Marketing Committee is converting to a staff group comprised of the Community Manager, the Country Club Manager and me. We will invite Desert Princess residents with marketing expertise to consult with us regularly to take advantage of the experience, knowledge and fabulous ideas Desert Princess homeowners have to contribute.
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We will also be holding resident focus groups to talk with and obtain feedback as well as hear their ideas and suggestions for improvement in all areas.
•
I’ll be hosting an old-fashioned coffee klatch on the last Wednesday of the month (This month that's May 28, in June, The Masters Lounge.) at 10:30 am--this month in Leon’s. We'll have special guests stopping by too. I'll be looking forward to seeing you there!
GRACE TAYLOR SEGAL Director of Marketing gsegal@desertprincesscc.com
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Easter
at Desert Princess
www.desertprincesscc.com
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You’re Invited!
Mother’s Day Brunch Sunday, May 11 10 am to 2 pm $29.25++ for Adults $14.95++ for Kids 12 & under Cancellations after Wednesday, May 7 will be charged the full amount.
Don’t Miss Our Mother’s Day Event! It’s the last full brunch of the season!
Call 760-322-1655 for reservations. 12
One seating only, dinner at 6:30 pm & the show starts at 8 pm. Please make reservations! To just see the show, seating will be available in the bar for a $10 show fee per person. Cancellations after Monday, May 12 will be charged the full amount. Call 760-322-1655 for reservations. www.desertprincesscc.com
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www.facebook.com/DesertPrincessCC
#desertprincessc
Did you know.... Your membership card is waiting in the HOA Office for you. Stop by and pick it up today!
Harriet Homeowner Desert Princess Member
Calling Community Writers! Do you enjoy writing? If so, we could use your help! We would like to publish Resident Profiles and other features in The Royal Page and we need reporters to interview and write articles about Desert Princess Homeowners! Email gsegal@desertprincesscc.com if you are interested.
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DESERT PRINCESS CRAFTERS Crafters meet every Wednesday from noon until 3:30 pm in the Master's Lounge. Please come join us. There are always projects to work on and we welcome any new ideas or talents you'd like to share. At this time, we are preparing for our fall Bazaar to raise funds for the six charities that we work with in the local community. They are: Cathedral City Boys and Girls Club, Cathedral City Police Department, Mt. San Jacinto High School special program, Operation Safe House, Troops in Afghanistan and our special Cathedral Palms senior citizens. Thank you to so many Desert Princess residents who have been donating items for our seniors. The seniors are always excited when we deliver things there and they are so appreciative. When we go with a load of items, many come to greet us and go through the items and take them to use immediately. They are a very special group of people. I believe we have taken at least 300 loads over in recent years. The Social Worker there is Craig Bruce and does a wonderful job for the residents. He works there Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, so we limit our deliveries to those days. If you'd like to join Crafters and/or donate items, please call one of us: Barbara Gibson 327-1320, Sharon Hadler 325-3263, Rosie Mascolo 288-2889, Maureen McLaughlin 322-1232 or Irene Ripley6 325-6839. Hope to see you Wednesday.
IRENE RIPLEY Chairperson, Crafters
Rcr5950@aol.com
www.desertprincesscc.com
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Golf Cart Requirements
FROM THE PRO SHOP With the arrival of the warmer weather, the Golf Shop would like to announce lower green fees at Desert Princess. Green fees in May will be $40 before noon and $20 Twilight Special after noon seven days a week. Green fees for June, July and August will be $20 all day seven days a week. Desert Princess is also offering a Summer Golf Package for $399 that starts June 1 and goes through September. The package includes unlimited golf after 10 am and includes a small bucket of balls prior to each round. Summer golf package holders also get discounts at the snack bar.
Cart Owners must provide verification of liability insurance at the time of registration. Annual tags may be picked up from the Homeowners Association Office or the Club Administrative Office. Drivers of carts must be licensed . All golf carts must be registered with the Association and display a valid registration decal with current year stickers “tags” displaying owner membership and/or golf membership. Failure to register your golf cart by will result in a $500 Fine.
Speaking of discounts, the Golf Shop will be offering cost + 10% on men’s and ladies’ clothing, shoes, bags and clubs beginning May 1st.
HOLE-IN-ONE! John Thomas
The Desert Princess Golf Shop staff would like to thank all Homeowners/Members for a wonderful season and we look forward to seeing everyone next fall.
March 7, 2014 Lagos Course
Hole: #3 Yardage 121 - Blue Tees Club: 9 Iron
Events for May/June May 1 May 2 May 8 May 15 May 17 & 18 May 24 & 25 May 24 & 25 June 2 June 7 & 8 June 13 & 14
Rotary District 12:00 SG Thompson Boxing 12:00 SG Ladies Spring Team 8:00 SG Desert Roll Toyota Tour Cup 7:30 Tee Times Westrey Golf Club 7:30 SG San Pedro Duffers 7:30 SG Danny Williams Open RCM 7:30 SG Penilla 7:00 SG
One putts to all, RAND VEAL Director of Golf
rveal@desertprincesscc.com
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Congratulations, John!
OUTSIDE GOLF EVENTS DATE
EVENT
# PLAYERS TIME COURSE
May 2
THOMPSON BOXING 144
12 SG
May 8
LADIES SPRING TEAM 96
8 SG
2014 Tournament of Champions RESULTS GROSS BILL BENDER - 72 DOUG GOOD - 77 MANNY QUINTILLAN - 77 TOM DAWLEY - 79 NET SAL VELTRI - 71 WILLI GIBSON - 71 LYLE NORDHEIMER - 74 BILL ROHR - 74 CLOSEST TO THE PINS LAGOS #3 SAL VELTRI LAGOS #8 DOUG GOOD CIELO #3 WILLI GIBSON CIELO #7 JIM WHEELOCK $100 DRAWING WINNER CARL JONES
Reminder!
Children are not allowed to operate golf carts. Only legally licensed drivers may operate golf carts. Thank you!
www.desertprincesscc.com
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Does the Background in this Photo of the SoCal Coyotes Football Team at Practice Look Familiar?
It should! They're practicing right here at Desert Princess! And you're invited to watch them practice on the driving range every Tuesday and Thursday from 5 to 7 pm. Be on the lookout for the SoCal Coyotes complete game schedule and for information about where to pick up your tickets.
Football! Right in your own backyard! Don't miss it! www.desertprincesscc.com
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GOLF COURSE MAINTENANCE I can’t believe that another year has come and gone. This past season seemed to be one of the best ever according to all of the comments I've heard. Every year it seems like we keep hearing the same things over and over, so to me that means that were doing our job well. Every year we set new goals and have higher expectations of one another, and the product that you see is the result of great teamwork. Once again, I am very proud to be the leader of such a great team. Beginning now or sometime very soon, we begin the quest of our summer projects. This summer will prove to be one of the busiest summers ever as we begin our Community Irrigation Project. The first phase involves replacing all three pump stations with new, state of the art designs. These are the “heart” of the system, which deliver the water from the lakes to the golf course and HOA lawns and landscape. Sometime next spring, we’ll begin phase two, which is the installation of all the pipes and sprinklers. I often talk about sustainability, and this community project will be the key for the next 25 years. Another exciting project that is new to us, involves constructing and maintaining the football field on the driving range floor for the SoCal Coyotes. Obviously, the main thing is to have a place to play football; however, it's a much larger footprint on the community and I'm very excited and proud to be a part of this new endeavor. The So Cal Coyotes is first class and having a sports organization like this in your own backyard will only enhance the value of this wonderful property. I’ve always been apart of sports my entire life and I feel that being involved with them builds character, among other things. This impact of this endeavor will be noticed by many others throughout the Coachella Valley and across the nation. I’m behind this 100% and look forward to creating the west coast version of “Field of Dreams”. I have already been in contact with many of our vendors and affiliates, and their donations to assist in taking care of the field have been ongoing. It’s exciting to be a part of this exciting project and watch it grow. I hope that everyone will be supportive.
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Another project that we will be undertaking is the leveling and reconstruction of all the par three tees. Over the years with top dressing and divots, the tees have become crowned and are not level. Leveling the tees will make a positive impact on everyone's golfing experience and reflect the detail of work that our staff embellishes. The last major project that we will be working on has to do with a subject that is very important to many golfers and homeowner: trees on the golf course and around the property. For many years I've been discussing this with homeowners, committee members and Board members. We've been putting together a plan, in conjuction with professionals, to come up with a scenario in which we can remove some trees and possibly add new varieties of trees into our footprint. Most of the trees that we’re looking at aren’t physically in the best condition. They may be diseased, dying or severely leaning, or perhaps just a nightmare to maintain. Roughly speaking, with labor and expenses in all three maintenance departments, we probably spend over $200,000 per year on some sort of tree maintenance. That’s probably on the low end, we could be much higher. In order the manage the budgets and the maintenance work in general, it’s time that we address this situation. It's a very delicate subject, and being from Michigan and all the trees I grew up with, I understand everyone’s feelings. I’m not against trees, in fact, I love them, but we need to have some trees that work well within our budget and vision. The original plantings back in 1985 were not well planned and as a result, we have many maintenance nightmares. Trees that are growing too close to buildings, or sidewalks, or lakes are just a few examples of what we deal with. Damage caused to our properties or people are also something that we think about daily. Like many large projects, it has taken a while for us to put things into motion, but I think that doing this kind of project puts Desert Princess Country Club in a better position for the future.
One thing you are guaranteed from me: I am always working on behalf of improving this great community. Anything that I’m involved with, I put forth incredible thought and effort into in order to be able communicate with confidence and passion my beliefs, understandings and reccommendations. This is who I am and probably the reason that I’ve been here since 2001. I love my job! I love my work! I love everything about Desert Princess! Have a great summer! See you around or perhaps next season!
JONAS CONLAN Golf Course Superiintendent jconlan@desertprincesscc.com
Water Otters
It's been a wonderful season filled with rediscovery, learning, NOT getting it (which is on the pathway to getting it) and remarkable breakthroughs in enjoyment and performance! Thanks for allowing me to be a partner in all of it and I look forward to seeing you next season or feel free to contact me before that or visit me in Oregon! In appreciation,
Take great exercise, add new friends, sprinkle in a laugh or two and you have Water Otters. Join us Monday, Wednesday & Friday, from 9 to 10 am, at the Spa Pool. Offered at the same great price of $3/session. See you there. Cathy Higgins 760-778-3629 bobcat4122@aol.com
Brandon Richardson, PGA Golf with Freedom Lesson Center www.golfwithfreedom.com
Golf with Freedom Lesson Center Returns to Desert Princess November 1, 2014!
www.desertprincesscc.com
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GREENS COMMITTEE The Board of Directors has approved the Desert Princess Community Irrigation Project at their March 2014 meeting. This is the columniation of three years of work by the Greens & Grounds Committee since we were tasked to prepare and review our new irrigation system. This process began with the preparation of a Request for Proposal from three Irrigation Consultants. Interviews of each were held and David Yoshimura of Fairway Irrigation Design was selected. Also at this time, Doug Enroth of Pinnacle Design Company, a Landscape Consulting firm, prepared a Preliminary Landscaping Master Plan. Jonas and the committee reviewed the Irrigation plan with David. The irrigation plan was modified to allow for future landscaping improvements in areas denoted on the Pinnacle’s plan. At the same time the irrigation water used for the HOA landscape areas was being converted to nonpotable (agriculture well water) from CVWD water. With this conversion, the entire community irrigation system will now be using a less expensive source of water. Many meetings, reviews, and study sessions were held with Jonas and the committee. We have tried to the best of our ability to attain knowledge and expertise on the community irrigation system and provided information, cost analysis, plans, and proposals to the Board and other committees. Presentations were made along with questions and answer sessions that were attended by David Yoshimura. Countless hours were spent doing research and study went into the effort. I would like to thank Jonas for all of his work and also two committee members that provided their knowledge and expertise to make this project a reality, Robin Rexius & Ron Fairburn. Without their help we would not being moving ahead with the irrigation system that will conserve water and decrease our operating cost. As you have read throughout the season in the press, California is in a drought. Golf courses and HOA’s have been singled out as “Water Wasters”. This is a convenient assertion but not exactly true. According to “The California Golf Economy: Economic and Environmental Impact Report” (http://www.golf2020.com) golf courses account
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for less than 1% of water consumption in California. Public Supply (Residential, Commercial, and Industrial) uses account for 21%. The majority of the use (73%) Irrigation (Agriculture, Horticulture, etc.). As we move forward with our community irrigation system, we will include in our environmental stewardship: 1) use of drought-tolerant grasses and landscaping, 2) practices and technologies that our new system will provide, 3) the use of more natural landscapes and nonirrigated & over-seeded areas around our grounds and course, 4) investing in research and continuing education for our superintendent and staff. With our new irrigation, the community will benefit from the savings in energy, water use, and maintenance costs being incurred by our antiquated system.
FRED ELLIOTT Greens Committee Chair
fadelliott@earthlink.net
CHANNEL 98 Your DESERT PRINCESS Community Channel
WOMEN’S GOLF NEWS The Annual Awards were given out at the final meeting for this season. Our Most Improved Golfer was Pam Patton. Congratulations and keep up the good work. Our president, Carlie Tronto, turned the gavel over to the new president, Sherry Bauman. Thank you, Carlie, for all of the work that you have done for the women’s golf club. Our Fall Team wrap-up party was very well attended and we all had a lot of fun. Our very own Steve Fitzharris won the “head pro competition” against the head pros from all of the other clubs. Yeah, Stevie!!” Spring Team is under way and feeling the pain of how hard some of these other courses are to play. Good luck and remember to enjoy the experience. The results for the Pinehurst Tournament are as follows: A Flight 1st Gross Marilyn J. White/ Carlie Tronto 2nd Gross Shaun Pulice/ Sharon Wing 3rd Gross Christine Bauer/ Karen Hopwood B Flight 1st Gross Wilma Snethun/ Rosie Mascoto 2nd Gross Sidney Clausen/ Bette Rainwater 3rd Gross Betty Milligan/ Donna Fisher
1st Net Donna Elliott/ Cheryl Erskine 2nd Net Carol Clark/ Lynn McNeal 3rd Net Randie Henry/ Helen Rano 1st Net Myrna Siwiecki/ Barbara Lundberg 2nd Net Irene Murphy/ CJ Wilkinson 3rd Net Gigi Jack/Diane Payne
Our 2014 Women’s Tournament of Champions was held on April 6. The Overall Champions are: Gross: Shaun Pulice with an 80. Net: Sharon Wing with a 71 A Flight 1st Gross Marilyn J. White, 1st Net Linda Friezner, 2nd Gross Donna Elliott, 2nd net Karen Hopwood, 3rd Gross Cheryl Erskine, 3rd Net Gail Fairburn B Flight 1st Gross Randie Henry, 1st Net Renee Thompson, 2nd Gross Wilma Snethun, 2nd Net Connie Olson, 3rd Gross Betty Milligan, 3rd Net Karen Aoyagi C Flight 1st Gross Pam Patton, 1st Net CJ Wilkinson, 2nd Gross Peggy Geissler, 2nd Net Sherry Bauman, 3rd Gross Donna Fisher, 3rd Net Barbara Lundberg Well, now many of you are headed home and we are left to brave the summer without you. It is so much fun when everyone is in town and we can keep our ladies’ days full. Those of us who are left behind will do our best to keep the fires burning and the putts rolling in. CHERYL ERSKINE Women’s Golf Club cherylerskine48@yahoo.com www.desertprincesscc.com
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SPA Well, here we are back into the triple digits….and into our lazy days of summer…keep the sunscreen handy! This is the perfect time to escape to the Spa, where it’s nice and cool and the very place to relax and get rejuvenated. Take advantage of our Homeowners Monthly Special or one of the many other packages we have put together. We have a package to suit everyone’s needs. Just a reminder, you can also order breakfast, lunch or even dinner from Leon’s restaurant while having treatments at the spa, you can also order cheese and cracker or fruit platters and all will be delivered to the spa.
TENNIS & ATHLETICS The last big event of the season has come and gone. The USTA Spring Super National Junior Easter Bowl. We were fortunate to host the absolute best 12 & under girls the nation has to offer, a special treat! Planning has begun to bring an even more exciting schedule of events and activities for the Desert Princess homeowners and guests next season. The first major event is slated for October 18 - the return of the Desert Princess Run Bike Run. The return of this fabulous event figures to bring major local and national exposure to the Desert Princess community. Weekly adult and junior clinics will be continuing through May on our regular schedule.
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And for all of you that are staying throughout the summer months just another reminder about the Spa membership of 6 or 12-month program….perfect for the off-season.
MERRYL ROSE Spa and Facility Manager mrose@desertprincesscc.com
I want to thank the many homeowners and guests who participated in our activities this season and wish all a wonderful summer.
CHARLIE MOORE Director of Tennis & Athletics cmoore@desertprincesscc.com
Check out the
DESERT PRINCESS Channel at:
www.youtube.com/ DesertPrincessYT
www.desertprincesscc.com
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It Matters Who You Hire
FROM THE CHIEFS CORNER What is making these current weather conditions so dangerous is the obvious “high fire danger� currently, however, these warm, dry gusty winds are stripping already drought prone vegetation complete of any fuel moisture content. With no rain forecasted and heading into summer months, fuels are/will be bone dry of any fuel moisture early into the season. Gusty winds have/ are blowing leaves/needles/twigs onto roof tops and rain gutters causing additional ignition points for embers during and fire. Effective immediately, homeowners are urged to begin creating defensible space in accordance with their respective fire departments brush compliance requirements. With drought conditions and fuel moisture content in vegetation at their critically lowest levels, we can expect a very active fire season effective immediately. This will likely result in the possibility of multiple brush fires burning simultaneously which may impact resource availability. Again, homeowners living in and near the wildland urban interface areas need to do their part in helping firefighters by beginning brush clearance/defensible space immediately. Contact your local fire department for brush requirements and additional information! SAM DIGIOVANNA Fire Chief jSDiGiovanna@cox.net Note: The information in this article was compiled from various sources. These suggestions are not a complete list of every preventative or loss control measure. The information is not intended to replace additional safety manuals or the advice of another qualified professional(s). We make no guarantee of results from use of this information. We assume no liability in connection with the information nor the suggestions made.
www.desertprincesscc.com
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ALC BREEZE Well, the wonderful winter that we experienced is gradually transitioning into the much warmer weather we all expect after our snow birds leave our little bit of paradise. We still have ALC Home Improvement applications coming in for changes to villas and landscape through out the summer. Thank you for remembering to submit the proper paperwork for any changes you may want to make to your home. We welcome desert landscape changes since this supports our focus on using less water and cutting back on landscape maintenance. It is nice to drive around and see all the changes being made. If you are thinking of putting in a pool, remember the course is closed in October for overseeding and all work needs to be completed by then before the season gets underway so submit those applications soon. Solar is a very popular home improvement at this time and I am sure will continue to be in the future. Please note that the placement of the equipment should be reviewed by staff before installation. This will keep our community looking nice for the future. Looking forward to a wonderful summer. For those of us who stay, enjoy the heat and for those of you away, send some of your rain our way.
DONNA FISHER 2013-14 ALC Chairperson
alc@desertprincesscc.com
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Bingo will only continue through the summer with a minimum of 40 reservations – so please reserve as soon as possible to avoid this event being cancelled. www.desertprincesscc.com
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SAFE & SOUND With the high season officially behind us, the community’s population will steadily decrease to its annual low, usually hitting the lowest point around mid-June. With all of our seasonal residents away, the Desert Princess will slow down quite a bit. Patrol Services utilizes this time of the year to proactively evaluate our productivity to make adjustments for the next season. This is also when we’ll address outstanding issues, tend to maintenance and repairs of equipment, and generally clean house, so next season is an even better experience for our residents than the one prior. I’m sure you’ve noticed some changes in personnel at the Main Gate through the latter part of this season. With new hires, there is always an acclimation period where they are learning the job, and this is when the majority of any mistakes and errors will occur. The Main Gate is extremely busy during season, making it difficult to adequately train new personnel on all the idiosyncrasies that the job entails. So, I thank you and all your visitors for remaining patient while we bring all our new personnel up to par. The off-season gives my supervisors and me the opportunity to address any areas in need of improvement, and train our new personnel on the finer details of our processes to ensure a more fluid process next season. Patrol Services will also be continuing to make adjustments to our patrol efforts to increase our presence in the areas of the community where it’s needed most: deterring any undesirable activity. The criminal activity on property has increased slightly in the last couple of months. We have encountered and hand full of petty thefts throughout the community not appearing to be concentrated in any specific area. However, a common denominator in most these incidents are an open entry of some kind, unlocked car door, rolled-down window, open sliding glass door, etc. The perpetrators involved appeared to be looking for easy targets, visible items of value, out in the open, and accessible with minimal effort. Let’s not make it easy for them, as always, secure you homes and cars, and don’t leave anything of value in plain sight. This alone can avoid a theft.
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While we as a department continue to find ways to increase our effectiveness, we still require your help. Although our Patrol Officers monitor the community 24 hours a day, we cannot be everywhere at once, and it only takes a few seconds for a criminal incident to occur. Please be proactive, watch your streets, know your surroundings, and know who, of your neighbors, are in town and who have left for the season. Notify Patrol Services immediately at (760) 322-0441 if you observe anything out of the ordinary. A Patrol Officer will be dispatched to investigate and determine if there is a potential threat to the community or not. Together we can continue to keep the Desert Princess a safe place to live and play. Thank you,
FRANK STARKEY Post Commander
fstarkey@desertprincesscc.com
PATROL SERVICES COMMITTEE End of the Season and Time to “Button Up” As the season comes to a close and many of our residents begin to pack up for their journeys to points North, it’s a good opportunity to assess the security of your Desert Princess home. A large majority of our homes are vacated during the summer months and a little advanced vigilance can be very beneficial in preventing cases of burglary and theft. Here is a checklist you may find helpful in making your preparations: _____ Bring in furniture cushions and other items of value from outside. Stacking and covering patio furniture can be a sign that the property has been vacated. _____ Make certain that all doors and windows are closed and locked. _____ Utilize bars, sturdy rods, or metal clips to secure sliding glass windows and doors, as they are easily opened otherwise (even when locked). _____ Consider a couple of electric timers for lamps, which will cause lamps to turn on and off at set times each evening. Some experts also recommend a timer on a radio or TV. _____ Remove any “hidden” keys from under doormats,
planters, Etc. If you can think of places to hide them, would-be crooks can think of where to find them. Better to leave a key with a neighbor. _____ Set alarms, if you have them and make sure contact information is current with your alarm company and the HOA. _____ If you have neighbors staying for the summer, inform them of your plans and whether you expect visitors at your home during the summer. Most theft and burglary are crimes of opportunity and entry is usually gained through unsecured doors and windows. We hope you find these ideas helpful and look forward to seeing you back next season. For those of us who will be enjoying the summer here, it is time for extra vigilance. IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING. Report suspicious activity to Desert Princess Patrol and/or Cathedral City Police. Thanks and have a great summer!
DOUG ASHBRIDGE Chairman, Patrol Services Committee
dppatrolservices@desertprincesscc.com
www.desertprincesscc.com
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Please make reservations for Bingo on a weekly basis. Bingo will only continue with a minimum of 40 reservations.
Board Meeting HOA Open - 1:30 pm Country Club Open - 3 pm
Please make reservations
www.desertprincesscc.com
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Please make reservations for Bingo on a weekly basis. Bingo will only continue with a minimum of 40 reservations.
Board Meeting HOA Open - 1:30 pm Country Club Open - 3 pm
WE’RE
OPEN
IN CATHEDRAL CITY The Hospital You Trust To Care For Those You Love
Our Patients Are Our Priority
INTE
RSTA TE 1
Racquet Club Drive Desert Regional Medical Center
0
Vista Chino
E.Tachevah Drive
Ramon Road
PALM SPRINGS
CATHEDRAL CITY HIGHW AY 111
NORTH
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Date Palm Drive
Trail
Landau Boulevard
Palm Springs International Airport
Gene Aurty
Sunrise Way
Indian Canyon Drive
Palm Canyon Drive
555 E. Tachevah Dr. Suite 2W-203 Palm Springs
27-765 Landau Blvd. Suite 104 Cathedral City
July 4th Festivities! Spend Independence Day with us! Time/Place/Menu To Be Announced in June
www.desertprincesscc.com
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Your Desert Princess Real Estate Expert.
BILL HAMMERSLEY Desert Princess Country Club full-time resident since 2007, and highly qualified Real Estate Professional with over 7,100 successful closings representing buyers and sellers.
If you are considering selling your property in Desert Princess,
NOW IS THE PERFECT TIME. Call me today for a free property value analysis and marketing plan designed to sell your home.
760-641-8127
BillHammersley@Windermere.com
REALTOR速, CRS, ABR, GRI BRE# 01836339
Multi-Million Dollar Top Producing Agent
BILL $ELL$ DESERT PRINCESS!