10 minute read
Pres. & Mgr. Reports
President’s Message
Marci Smith, President
Happy New Year! Are you looking for a fresh start to the New Year? Are you planning on new windows, or a remodel for your home or patio? If so, the Homeowners Association requires submission of an application for any work you may be having done on the outside of your home. Applications can be picked up at the Rec Ctr 1 office. The Architectural Committee and the Casta del Sol Maintenance Department work hand in hand with each other. They will review your application for proposed changes and may do an inspection on the exterior of your home.
The good news is the majority of applications are approved.
Continued on page 2
Manager’s Report
Josh Hodosh, General Manager
Landscape Contract
The Board of Directors has authorized Monarch Environmental to go out to bid for the landscape contract. Staff believes we will have proposals in February for the BoD to make a decision on who will maintain the beautiful Casta del Sol landscaping.
Age Verification
In order to comply with certain Federal regulations and to continue to qualify as a Senior Housing Development, the Casta del Sol Homeowners Association is required to verify that each lot/unit is occupied by at least one person who is 55 years of age or older, known as a Qualifying Resident.
General Manager Bids Farewell to Casta del Sol
By Josh Hodosh, photo by Judy Clendenin
What does a person write to a community when he is leaving, separates it from other communities. I am proud to say that under my leadespecially one that has always been so important to him? I think the most fitting statement is THANK YOU! I feel blessed and have so much gratitude to have represented your community as General Manager for more than 11 years. The relationships established with residents, vendors and staff are the ones I will miss the most.
When reflecting on the contributions we have made together, I think about the small part I played in all the great work accomplished with tremendous pride. Casta del Sol’s teamwork culture ership, your staff remained at Casta long term, treated the residents with dignity and class, responded to people quickly, was efficient, transparent, and always worked as if Casta were their own community. Casta never had a lawsuit, the dues have always been very competitive, and we took care of the maintenance needs year in and year out. The annual accomplishments sent out to the community each December provided a glimpse into the scale of what was done yearly, but there was so much more behind the scenes, and
Continued on page 3
By Liz Rickett, photo by Fred Lake
Mary Thompson and Joanne Hedgespeth played sports all their lives. When they moved to Casta del Sol in 2010, they quickly became active in pickle ball, paddle tennis, and golf. That summer, Lawn Bowling hosted an Open House event. They were familiar with the game but had never participated, viewing it as “an older person’s game.” However, once they played, they became hooked.
Lawn bowling has been a part of Casta since the 1980s. Many tournaments have been played here. One past Casta resident, Dick Folkins, was an internationally known lawn bowler.
Seeking more competitive play, Mary and Joanne looked at other venues. In 2017, they selected Laguna Beach as their home club. They play 4-5 times per week with a focus on training and drills.
Mary became a Bowls USA Certified Umpire in 2017 and a Bowls USA Certified Coach in 2018. That same year, Joanne was selected to join Team USA to compete against Team Canada in
Continued on page 2 Last fall, Joanne Hedgespeth (left) and Mary Thompson (right) played in the 2022 Lawn Bowling National Championships.
Sharing our Roots: A Love Story
By Liz Rickett, photo by Jeff McCoy
Fred Lake’s parents showed him what real love is. Both parents were Czech; his dad grew up in a small town, his mom in a city. When Czechoslovakia was taken over by Hungary, his father, a carpenter, was sent to a forced labor battalion in support of the Nazis. He did have some free time during which he went to the city. There he met Fred’s mom who was a seamstress. They got to know each other and spent time together.
When Jews were rounded up for deportation, they were originally sent to different concentration camps. Eventually they landed in Muhldorf, a satellite Fred Lake holds a photo of his Continued on page 4 parents who survived the Holocaust
New HOA Dues
Reminder that beginning January 1, 2023, the HOA dues have increased to $562 per month. The overall budget for 2023 is $13,066,808 which represents an annual assessment for Casta del Sol homeowners of $562 per month for each home, which is an increase of $64 from 2022.
President’s Message
Continued from page 1 The Committee meets weekly, when possible, enabling a quick turnaround time. Note: the Committee has 30 days to process your application. The goal is simply to ensure compliance with Casta’s standards and rules and regulations. The Architectural Committee can be a huge asset to you. By communicating with them and the Maintenance Department, costly mistakes can be avoided.
Please see your telephone directory and review pages 22-41 for detailed information. Your Board of Directors is responsible for ensuring compliance and may submit a stop-work notice or fine if the procedures are not followed properly. Remember to keep your yellow notice in a visible location while work is being done and be sure to turn in the Notice of Completion when your project is finished. Avoid potential headaches and reach out early to our friendly volunteers and staff who are happy to help guide you through the process.
The Architectural Committee is established by the CC&Rs. This very important committee has been led by Chairperson Vicki Slawson for the past six years. Thank you, Vicki, for your diligent efforts working with our residents. Vicki is stepping down this year and handing the reins over to John Nicsinger. Welcome, John.
A simple improvement to your home can make a huge difference. If your New Year’s resolution is home improvement, I wish you a smooth and successful project.
Manager’s Report
Continued from page 1 Although the BoD understands this information was requested at the time you purchased your residence, Federal regulations require the age verification to be updated every two years. Copies of the Age Verification and Auto Registration instructions are available at the Rec Ctr 1 office. The Board of Directors sincerely appreciates your cooperation in completing this routine, but necessary, process. Should you need assistance or further information, please contact the HOA office at (949) 837-4073.
Holiday Decorations and Tree PickUp Information
Please let this serve as a reminder that those beautiful decorations you so lovingly placed on the exterior of your homes are required to be removed, boxed, and stored away by January 15.
Waste Management will only pick up Christmas trees on the following dates: January 4 and January 11. Trees longer than six feet must be cut in half. Also, please remove all decorations including tinsel, lights, ornaments, and tree stands prior to placing your tree at the curb for pick up.
Continued from page 1
the North American Challenge (NAC).
Two years ago, they found a coach in Australia who works with them via computer. They send him videos and questions. He sends them drills and suggestions. In 2020, both Joanne and Mary were selected to join Team USA to compete in the NAC. Last summer, each qualified for the 2022 National Championships by winning a Southwest Division (SWD) round robin tournament.
In early November 2022, eight Bowls USA Division Champions traveled to Sun City, Arizona to compete in a round robin tournament to determine the 2022 National Champions. Mary, representing the SWD, was runner up in the Women’s Singles event, losing by only two points to the current national champion. Joanne, also representing the SWD, tied for second place with her partner in the Women’s Pairs event.
Both say they enjoy the competitive nature of play as well as being outdoors. They have played in tournaments across the country and made many friends. They have also discovered that contrary to their preconception, it is a sport for all ages and they often play against teenagers.
Casta del Sol HOA
- Board of Directors -
President: Marci Smith Vice President: David Shostak Treasurer: Karen Warren Secretary: Linda Silverman Directors: Lori Gilbertson Joe Hachadoorian Matt Loftus marcitaylorsmith@gmail.com davidrshostak@gmail.com kwarrencds@gmail.com dirsilverman71@yahoo.com lori9CDS@gmail.com joecdsbod@gmail.com mloft107@gmail.com
For Courier staffing contact information, please see page 22 The Casta Courier is published monthly by the Casta del Sol Homeowners Association. The mailing address is 27651 Casta del Sol Drive, Mission Viejo, Calif. 92692. Deadline for submitting material for the next month appears at the bottom of this page.
DISCLAIMER
CdS Homeowners Association and Farmer Publications, accept no responsibility for content, accuracy or opinion, expressed or implied, of articles, letters or advertisements. Inclusion of advertisements does not carry with it any endorsement, actual or implied, for the product or services advertised. The CdS Homeowners Association and Farmer Publications have content Rules and Restrictions that must be met, and accept no responsibility for damage occasioned through use of products or services advertised herein.
Landscape Notes
Bill Thornton, Landscape Services Coordinator
The two types of irrigation water used in Casta del Sol are domestic and recycled. Domestic water refers to water imported from the north, or from the Colorado River. Recycled refers to water that has been captured by the Santa Margarita Water District (SMWD) filtered, treated, and stored in one of the reservoirs. The Oso reservoir is where water is stored for Casta irrigation and is above Lake Mission Viejo. The reservoir is located high enough in elevation to allow pressure to build up for irrigation to operate properly below in Casta.
There are requirements for the use of recycled water and this year, Tracy Astorga, with the SMWD, has been inspecting recycled areas to ensure that no cross connections between domestic water in the homes and recycled water in the irrigation system exist. She has observed private irrigation systems connected to the home spigots and running side-by-side with the recycled irrigation systems. She also noted hoses laying on the ground. Her job is to educate and protect people from cross contamination.
All irrigation recycled water zones are identified by purple stickers and signs. I would ask anyone who lives in these recycled areas to abide by the SMWD rules and keep the domestic water system safe by simply taking time to look around your homes. More information is available at www.smwd. com.
This article is being repeated because the SMWD wants all homes in compliance. If you have a private irrigation system in a recycled water zone, please call Tracy Astorga at (949) 430-9220 for an inspection.
Submissions to the Courier
All submissions must be by email in the form of a document attached to an email. See staff box on page 22 for section editor email addresses. Deadline for submitting is the sixth of the month for the paper to be delivered at the end of that month. Opinion letters must also be submitted by email by the sixth and may not exceed 200 words. The writer’s name must appear at the bottom of the letter. The Courier Committee meets in the Fiesta Room on the second Wednesday of the month at 9:30 a.m.
INSIDE
Pres. & Mgr. Reports .................. 1-2 Association News ......... 2-4, 6-7 Committees of the Board ................................. 8-11 Bulletin Board .......................... 11 Calendar ............................... 12 Feature of the Month ............ 13 Opinions ............................... 14 Clubs & Activities ................. 14-17 Sports ............................... 17-18 Casta Connections ............... 19 People, Places and Events ........ ............................... 20-22 Classifieds ............................ 23
