Conashaugh Courier

WINTER 2014

CLC ASSOCIATION Board Motions

2

Communications 4 Board of Directors Committee Liaisons

4

A Plea from Your Neighbor 5 Committees 5

Winter Comes To Conashaugh

Security Phone No’s.

5

Need Help Solving the Quadratic Equation?

6

Heads Up! Road Ban!

7

COMMUNITY EVENTS Community Happenings 8

Residents Mourn Passing of Sgt. Mattner

CONASHAUGH NEWS

For those of you who may not be aware, our Community’s Security Site Supervisor Tom Mattner passed suddenly on Friday, December 27, 2013.

Tom was special to us in many ways. He always went beyond the call of duty, and was kind to all, especially our children.

He was an honorable and caring person who would do his best to help anyone. Tom was a retired River Vale NJ police Continued on page 10...

Important Reminders Regarding Snow

11

Security Reports

12

Board Meetings

13

SPORT & RECREATION Garden Ideas

14

LI K E U S O N FA C E B O O K ! www.facebook.com/ conashaughlakes

Newburgh, NY 12550 PERMIT NO. 335

102 Conashaugh Road Milford, PA 18337 570-686-4000

PAID PRSRT STD U.S. Postage

CLCASSOCIATION Board Motions

CONASHAUGH LAKES PR OP ERTY OW NE R S ASSO C IAT IO N

Š Copyright 2014 102 Conashaugh Trail Milford, Pa 18337 P: 570.686.4000 www.conashaughlakes.com BOARD OF DIRECTORS

President Vice President Secretary Treasurer Director Director Director Director Director

John Crerand Mike Stevenson Bob Weed Fred Kline Larry Farnum Reggie Iglesias Neil Johnson Paul Kelleher Joe Kistle

OFFICE STAFF

Jeanne Calabrese

Administrator

Liz Sori Administrative Assistant Dawn Cuneo Book Keeper SECURITY

Vector Security Site Supervisor Officers: Sara Gabell, Aaron Duckett

July 2 0 1 3

Motion to approve Board of Directors Meeting Minutes from June 8th was made by Michael B. seconded by Neil J. Motion passed unanimously.

1. Motion to approve the agenda was made by Michael B and seconded by Neil J. Motion passed unanimously.

2. Motion to uphold the Hearing Committee's decision for trespass was made by Michael B and seconded by Neil J with the following condition: A letter needs to be sent from the mother to the Board stating that her son is not permitted in CLCA. Motion passed unanimously.

3. Motion to uphold the hearing committee's decision regarding stop sign violation but suspend the fine for one year, as long as there is not another incident.

4. Motion to approve the 2013/14 proposed budget made by Michael B, seconded by Bob W. Motion passed 5 to 3. Michael B, Bob W, Neil J, Larry F and Joe K yes and Mike S and Kevin F, no. Motion passed on majority vote.

5. Motion to accept open meeting agenda made by Michael B, seconded by Neil J, passed unanimously.

6. Motion to accept motions from Executive Meeting was made by Michael B, seconded

by Bob W. Motion passed unanimously.

7. Motion to donate 250.00 to the Pike Humane Society was made by Neil J and seconded by Larry F. Motion passed unanimously.

A ugust 2013

1. Motion to approve Board of Directors Meeting Minutes from July 13th was made

by Mike S. seconded by Paul K. Motion passed unanimously.

2. Motion to approve the agenda made by Neil J. seconded by Michael B. Motion passed unanimously.

3. Motion to increase maintenance employee Pete's hourly rate by .50 was made by Neil J. seconded by Larry F. Motion passed unanimously.

4. Motion to add line to the budget for Dam restoration account was made by Michael B. seconded by Bob W. Motion passed 7 to 1 with 1 opposed.

5. Motion to approve estimate #1 from Wayco for work to repair damage between Cree Trail and Flatbrook Way in the amount of $9,294.75 was made by Michael B. and seconded by Neil J. Motion passed unanimously.

6. Motion to approve estimate #2 from Wayco for work to repair damage on Overbrook Run, Lenape Trail and Sandy Pine Trail in the amount of $112,052.16 was made by Michael B. seconded by Bob W. Motion passed unanimously.

PUBLISHER

Niki Jones Agency, Inc. 39 Front Street, Port Jervis, NY 12771 P: 845.856.1266 E: publisher@nikijones.com Disclaimer: The comments, statements or written opinions expressed in Conashaugh Courier are the sole responsibility of the signed individual/author and/or committee and are not edited. All letters to the editor and paid advertisements do not reflect the opinions or views of the Conashaugh Lakes Property Owners Association.

Conashaugh Courier is not responsible for typographical errors, mistakes or misprints. All advertising, including photographs are the property of Niki Jones Agency, Inc and not that of the advertiser. The advertiser has purchased rights of reproduction in Conashaugh Courier and does not have the right to reproduce ads in any other place or publication without written permission from the publisher. Conashaugh Courier reserves the rights to exercise its discretion in the selection of advertisement.

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CONASHAUGHCOURIER • WINTER2014

CLCASSOCIATION 7. Motion to approve up to $750.00 for Pennoni 2013 Dam Inspection was made by Michael B. seconded by Larry F. Motion passed unanimously.

8. Motion to grant variance for a shed was made

by Bob W. and seconded by Paul K. motion passed unanimously.

S eptember 201 3

1. Motion to approve Board of Directors Meeting Minutes from August 14, 2013 was made by Michael B. seconded by Mike S. Motion passed unanimously.

2. Motion to approve the agenda was made

by Michael B seconded by Paul K. Motion passed unanimously.

3. Motion to spend up to 250 on refreshments on annual board meeting was made by Neil J seconded by Michael B. Motion passed unanimously.

4. Motion to uphold Hearing Committee's findings for speeding violation made by Michael B and seconded by Neil J. Motion passed unanimously.

5. Motion to uphold the Hearing Committee's findings for dog at large upheld with the stipulation that three 100 tickets (of four) be held barring no issues for a year was made by Michael B and seconded by Paul K. Motion passed unanimously.

6. Motion to purchase sign for community up to 1300.00 was made by Michael B and seconded by Paul K. Motion passed by majority. Two opposed.

7. Motion to enroll in early renewal for Healthcare policy was made by Michael B and seconded by Neil J. Motion passed unanimously.

8. Motion to purchase a new pool cover for up to 1700.00 was made by Mike S and seconded by Paul K. Motion passed unanimously.

9. Motion to establish an account to fund DAM restoration was made by Michael B and seconded by Neil J. Motion passed unanimously.

10. Motion to move all monies over 10,000.00 from credit card account to general account was made by Michael B. seconded by Bob W. Motion passed unanimously.

11. Motion to excuse Larry from Board Meeting made by Neil J. and seconded by Michael B. Motion passed unanimously.

CONASHAUGHCOURIER • WINTER2014

October 2 0 1 3

1. Motion made by Paul and seconded by Neil to approve the 9-14-13 Board of Directors Executive and Annual Reorganization Meeting Minutes. Motion passed unanimously.

2. Motion made by Neil and seconded by Joe to approve the agenda. Motion passed unanimously.

3. Motion by Fred and seconded by Larry to split latest increase for Employee Medical cost up through policy expiration date of December 2014. Employees will continue paying their current contribution plus 50% of the increase. Motion passed unanimously.

4. Motion made by Neil and seconded by Joe to send Dave to ESM Dirt Road Training Course on November 13 & 14. Motion passed unanimously.

5. Motion made by Joe and seconded by Paul to grant employees 2% pay increase in accordance with approved 2013-14 Budget.

Motion passed unanimously.

Board of Directors to fill vacancy. Motion passed unanimously.

4. Motion made by Fred K and seconded by Neil to transfer 20,000 of 2013 excess funds from Wells Fargo Operating to under funded Road Reserve account at PNC Bank and transfer remaining 2013 monies (10,946.28 ) to under funded General Reserve account at Dime Bank. Motion passed unanimously.

5. Motion made by Paul K and seconded by Neil J to grant budget of 350.00 for the purpose of purchasing repository properties offered for clean and green by the Pike County Tax Claim Bureau. Motion passed unanimously.

December 2013

1. Motion made by Paul and seconded by Joe to approve the November 9, 2013 Executive Meeting minutes. Motion passed by majority with one abstain.

2. Motion made by Paul and seconded by Larry to amend the Executive Meeting Agenda.

Motion passed unanimously.

6. Motion made by Mike and seconded by Joe to grant a budget of up to 5,000.00 for crack sealing of roads. Motion passed unanimously.

3. Motion by Joe and seconded by Neil to award budgeted annual bonuses to employees. Motion passed unanimously.

7. Motion made by Joe and seconded by Neil to grant a budget of up to 3500.00 to make repairs due to mold in office crawl space.

Motion passed by majority. Mike abstained from vote due to possible conflict

4. Motion made by Neil and seconded by Larry to give a $25.00 gift to the CLCA mail carrier "Chris". Motion passed unanimously.

5. Motion made by Joe and seconded by Larry to give the following gifts to Vector Security personnel; Site Supervisor Tom Mattner $50.00; Officer Sara Gabell $25.00

8. Motion made by Paul and seconded by Neil to write off dues owed on account for lot # 904 which include a judgment. (This property 6. Motion made by Reggie and seconded is now owned by CLCA through a tax sale).

by Joe to reject the Hearing Committee Motion passed unanimously. recommendations for careless driving against 9. Motion made by Neil and seconded by Joe member and find the member guilty for to issue check to Blooming Grove FD for reckless driving. This decision was based 100.00 for use of hall for Annual Meeting on officer's due diligence and supporting and issue a second check for 75.00 as a documents submitted by officer. In addition donation to Blooming Grove FD. Motion will impose $40.00 fine for this violation. passed unanimously.

Motion passed unanimously.

N ovember 2 0 1 3

1. Motion made by Paul K. and seconded

by Joe K. to approve the 10-12-13 Board of Directors Executive Meeting Minutes.

Motion passed unanimously.

2. Motion made by Joe K. and seconded by Neil J to approve the agenda. Motion passed unanimously.

3. Motion by Mike S. and seconded by Larry F. to appoint Regla Inglesias to the CLCA

NOTICE Anyone wishing to run for the Board of Directors will need to file an application and fulfill requirements by May 1, 2014.

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CLCASSOCIATION New Director!

2013/14 CLCA Board of Directors

Please join the CLCA Board of Directors in welcoming their newest Director, Reggie Iglesia! Reggie was appointed to the Board of Directors during their November meeting. She will be the new Strategic Planning liaison.

Co mmit t e e Liaisons John Crerand - President Communications Mike Stevenson - Vice President Security Fred Kline - Treasurer Finance Bob Weed - Secretary Rules and Regulations Larry Farnum - Director Environmental Reggie Inglesias - Director Strategic Planning

Communications

Neil Johnson - Director Design Review

We Are On Facebook!

Paul Kelleher - Director Recreation Joe Kistle - Director Maintenance The Board of Directors meet every second Saturday of the month at 10:30 a.m.

All are welcome to attend.

All meetings are held in the Recreation Building unless otherwise noted.

By Jeanne Calabrese

For those who are not aware, Conashaugh Lakes Community Association has its own Facebook page.

Currently the page has over 350 “Likes”. Those liking the page include CLCA Members, friends of members, local businesses and a handful of people from places far away.

The page has been a useful tool helping us to deliver and share information in a timely and cost effective way. Information ranging from missing and found pets, Community News and area events to impending storms and recommended action to take have been posted. Members have taken advantage of our page to post items and properties for sale. Businesses and other groups as well have used our page to advertise everything from entertainment to services offered.

An administrative tool called Insights provides statistics including the gender and age ranges of our audience; the number of people who view or share a particular post to name a few. Anyone who wishes to view our Facebook page will need to set up their own account if one is not already set up. In case you are a Facebook user and have hesitated to “Like” our page for fear of us seeing your page, fear not! Being a “Liked” page does not allow its administrators the same privileges as your personal “Facebook Friends” including viewing private profiles, etc. Similar to Friend pages, private messages can be left for Conashaugh Lakes as well as public comments. Please note that while our page is a very good communications tool it is not monitored 24/7. If you have a concern or something that needs immediate attention, it is recommended that you call the CLCA Office or Security instead of leaving a post as it may not be addressed in a timely manner.

So, if you are a Facebook user and haven’t done so already, please pay us a visit at https://www. facebook.com/conashaughlakes and “Like” our page. Thanks!

No coupons or discounts accepted PAGE 4

CONASHAUGHCOURIER • WINTER2014

CLCASSOCIATION A Plea from Your Neighbor

By Jeanne Calabrese

When asked for suggestions for an article for this issue of the Conashaugh Courier, it was requested by one of your neighbors that an article be written reminding residents to “PLEASE drive within the speed limits.”

It doesn’t matter where this neighbor lives. They may live next door, down the block or on the road that you speed down on your way to the mailbox, bus stop, shopping, work (pick one) or perhaps they live on the intersection where you run that stop sign because no one is there.

Unfortunately, despite repeated reminders written in past articles, on Facebook postings and via the LOOP, there are some who just don’t get it and continue to do their own thing and disregard the hazards they place upon their neighbors, themselves and their own children.

Since the summer there has been an increase of members reporting others for traffic violations including but not limited to speeding, illegal passing, reckless driving, running stop signs and tailgating through the entrance gates. Some have even filed formal complaints resulting in violations with fines being issued. And yes, that can happen and it has. Of course just as with any other violation that may be issued, the recipient has the right to due process (a hearing).

Please slow down, please. Your neighbor has asked that you include in your resolutions for 2014 a promise to drive safely because the heartache you save may be your own.

CONASHAUGHCOURIER • WINTER2014

Committees: Why Bother; All is Well!

By Bob Weed

Conashaugh Lakes is consistently ranked as one of the best private Communities in NEPA. We all know this is the result of several factors, but perhaps the most important is the time, energy and devotion given by Community Members to the several Committees which help all Community Members communicate with the Board of Directors. In turn, the Board acts on what is has been informed is necessary to the continued well-being of the Community.

I speak for myself here as Liaison to the Rules and Regulations Committee, but I know what I say is equally true of the other Committees.

There has been no interest in attending the Rules and Regs meetings for months (held, you may note, every third Tuesday evening at 7 PM at the Rec Building).

The reason, I believe, is obvious: All is Well in every aspect of the maintaining of the Community’s interest, concerns and welfare. We have, apparently, achieved a level of excellence and efficiency at which all are quite comfortable; not only comfortable, but complacent; not only complacent, but convinced that All is Well. And when an entire Community is convinced, Utopia is upon us.

Now there are those would argue the reverse; that all is so unwell that all the members have lost hope, faith and dedication to the Promise that was Conashaugh Lakes. Couple those with individuals who prefer to suffer in silence and you have the very beginning of the crumbling of the Promise, of the slow decay of that Promise, the final withering of that Promise. How is it with you, Well or Unwell?

Vector Security Phone Numbers Guard House at Front Entrance 570-686-1130 Guard on Duty at CLCA 800-682-4722 When paging please advise the operator that you are calling to have the officer on duty located and provide the location where the officer is needed (i.e., your home, compactor or other location).

Always call 911 in an emergency!

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CLCASSOCIATION

Need Help Solving The Quadratic Equation?

By Maddy DiGiovanni

When he discovered that Apple’s App Store lacked what he was looking for, Mr. Douglas Merritt, current resident and Physics teacher at Mountain Lakes HS in NJ, decided to take things into his own hands. He designed his own apps!

It took a lot of research and experimentation, but he is of course a science teacher. As of now, Mr. Merritt has four apps available for purchase in the App Store. He has also created a website for his app designs, called The Fizix Group.

It all began a few years ago with linearization.

To replace the hassle of laptops for the whole class, Mr. Merritt wanted a program that could automatically linearize the experimental data his students collected and be accessed from smartphones. He was fairly certain that someone would have invented one already. But he found nothing. “I’ve been using Apple products since 1988,” Mr. Merritt says. So why not design his own Apple-facilitated program? He flipped through the Xcode tutorials included with his Apple products and learned that it cost nearly one hundred dollars to join Apple’s development team. “I was thinking, that’s kind of a lot of money to spend on something I’m not sure I’ll really use. Would it be worth it?” he wondered.

According to Mr. Merritt, two common “practice” apps for beginners are calculators and quadratic function solvers. With this in mind, he chose the quadratic solver to learn programming before he would tackle the linearization app. He displays the un-updated version, explaining what features were missing from the original program.

“This was what it used to be, but when I’d show it to people, they’d say, ‘Wow, that’s so cool, but what if it did this, too?’ People were suggesting things left and right!” Mr. Merritt says. Now, the version in the App Store not only solves the quadratic equation, but displays the answer in radical form, lists pertinent values such as the discriminant, graphs the function, enables zoom and scroll, and displays the coordinates of

PAGE 6

points when they are tapped. A very useful tool if you are enrolled in a class such as pre-Calc, Trigonometry, or Physics.

Another of his apps is a temperature converter.

After perusing several Celsius/Fahrenheit converters already published in the App Store, Mr. Merritt noticed that none of them included the Kelvin scale. “How lame is that?!” he exclaims, an incredulous look on his face.

Naturally, he wrote a program including Kelvin.

His engineering professor friend, however, was still unsatisfied. “I showed it to him,” Mr. Merritt recalls, “and he said, ‘You forgot Rankines!’ and I was thinking, ‘What on earth is a Rankine…’”

After learning that the Rankine scale is a temperature measurement system commonly used by engineers, he edited his program to include that as well. Moreover, instead of purchasing a sound file for number-pad sounds, he simply recorded himself clicking a pen and programmed that in, too. If you ever use his Cool Converter, you will know that the sound effects are genuinely Mr. Merritt’s.

Mr. Merritt also has two other apps on the app store. One is an app specifically for his seniors.

Called RUExempt it helps his seniors calculate if they are exempt from finals, one of the last senior privileges of the year. The other is a social media app for a friend that is in the stamping business. Titled Pooler, this app gives access to a very talented stamper named Catherine Pooler.

It has her blog, where you can post messages, Facebook feed, and twitter feed.

Now, Mr. Merritt is returning to the idea that started it all. He hopes to begin work on the linearization app soon. In the meantime, be sure to check out his four current publications in the App Store; The Blue Quadratic Solver, Cool Converter, RUExempt, and Pooler. Just go to the store and type in any of the titles. Hope this helps with your homework!

CONASHAUGHCOURIER • WINTER2014

CLCASSOCIATION Heads Up! Road Ban Ahead!

By Jeanne Calabrese

With winter past the halfway mark, it is time to remind everyone that road bans are imminent.

This may be old news to some of our members. However, others may not be so familiar with the bans or the restrictions that come with them. Some local roads outside the Community have road bans that run between specific months each year during the late winter and early spring. The posted bans limit the weight of vehicles traveling on those roads and vary by location. These seasonal restrictions were enacted to minimize the impact to roads by heavy vehicles.

We too have road bans within the Community and want to make sure that all of our members are aware of that fact. Unlike roadways outside the Community, our bans do not run a three month window. We are permitted by law, a total of eight weeks for a road ban during which time vehicles with a GVW(gross vehicle weight) of 10,000 pounds or greater are not permitted to enter the Community. The bans may run eight weeks consecutively or separately and are based on weather conditions. For example, we could get a strong thaw in February where a ban will be instituted and then it is followed by a deep freeze which could put the ban on hold. When the time approaches for a road ban, maintenance personnel will inspect conditions and advise when to institute the ban.

Every effort is made to give as much notice as possible before a ban is imposed. While it is only an estimated window, and can be altered by weather conditions, bans typically run in mid February into March. Ban notices will be posted at the entrances, via the LOOP and on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/conashaughlakes.

Please keep road bans in mind if you are ordering furniture, appliances, building materials, nonemergency septic cleaning or services in need of vehicles greater than the prohibited weight. Alert your carriers of the ban. Many if not all delivery companies are aware of road bans and the need to use smaller vehicles during the ban period. There have been past occasions where members were required to meet a prohibited vehicle at the front gate and unload a delivery and transport it to their residence using their personal vehicle. Please note that emergency, fuel, utility company and CLCA Maintenance vehicles are exempt from road bans. Do not attempt to circumvent bans by meeting trucks at the member entrance and permitting entry with your gate card or buzzing them in via the guest gate. Parties will be held liable for any damage caused to the road by unauthorized vehicles and a trespassing violation will be issued.

If you have any questions regarding road bans, please contact the office. Thank you for your cooperation.

Got Stuff?

Don’t forget to send your CLCA (non-commercial) Classifieds to clcaloop@ptd.net .

Please include a description of the item for sale along with the asking price and your contact information.

You may also include a photo (jpg).

Call the office at 570-686-4000 if you have any questions.

2 . 5 A C C O R N ER LO T We are selling our 2.5 acre corner lot on the corner of Witherspoon court and Whipple way, lot #4301. It is such a nice big corner lot by the ball field and there isn’t many houses around. It has an active 4 bedroom septic permit which expires on July 2nd 2016! We are asking $16,000.00...we would love to sell this soon. Please call or text Kevin if you have any questions. 845-891-7195 (cell).

Propert y for Sale Corner lot (Flatbrook and Pine Grove Circle), 1.26 acres (Lot TR301, Section2), with view of nature preserve.

Walking distance to beach and playground. Asking $7,000. Contact Anne Murray at 917-239-6673 or amholly157@yahoo.com.

C LC A Lot for Sale Lot 4201. Size 1.45 acres. Asking price $28,000. If interested email dglebocki@yahoo.com.

Lot for Sale Lot 6110, Section 18, for sale on Oneida Way. $12,000. Call Felicitas Vasquez at 718/843-9127 or 347-262-5539.

CONASHAUGHCOURIER • WINTER2014

PAGE 7

COMMUNITY EVENTS Community Happenings

By Jeanne Calabrese

Happy New Year. I think. We’ve had our share of snow and ice this winter. As I am writing this, the temperature for the second round so far this season is in the negative digits. It’s probably the coldest it’s been for many of us in a while. A big thank you to our Maintenance Employees who have worked hard to keep up with snow plowing, working very late nights, early mornings and holidays.

water passing under the roadway and then the pavement was repaired. Lower Overbrook between Seneca and Conashaugh were showing severe signs of deterioration and were top coated with asphalt. Unfortunately, this year funds did not allow for the paving of any unpaved roads.

Repairs to Lenape were to finish repairs that were made in 2012.

Illuminated S ign

There are currently 562 Homes, 28 Contiguous lots, 283 Undeveloped Lots and 38 CLCA owned Lots in the Community. Twenty six resale packets have been issued since July 2013. Sales of properties have included undeveloped land, foreclosures and owner sales.

Following an approval by the Board in September, a new illuminated sign and wind cover were purchased for the mailbox/recycling area. The sign has been temporarily and partially erected so that electrical conduits could be routed to where the permanent sign will stand. This was done in late fall before frost and freeze set in. Maintenance will be building a housing for the sign this spring and landscaping will also be done. The sign will be illuminated and used to post events and alerts for the community.

Ta x S ales

P ool

P roperties

In November the Community purchased Lots 1601, 4006, 2419, 1623,6009, 5218 and 5723 from the Pike Tax Respository. These lots were offered to Conashaugh for purchase to be used for Clean and Green Areas. The price charged for each lot was $25.00. The lots cannot be sold or developed under the agreement of the purchase.

As previously reported the pool received a new liner, tile work and skimmers before the start of the 2013 season. A new winter pool cover was purchased and installed in October. We are currently accepting applications for lifeguards at the office. Lifeguards must be certified.

Tax Sales offer good deals on properties; however, anyone considering purchasing a property needs to do their home work. It is very important to check Deeds for right of first refusal clauses or other restrictions that remain with the property until removed legally. Depending on the type of sale you will also need to check to see if liens, unpaid dues or mortgages are applicable.

Maintenance Foreman Dave Altemier attended a two day course in November that covered unpaved roads. The class was a Dirt Road Maintenance training program and it took place at the Lord’s Valley Training/Com Center. While Dave is highly experienced when it comes to this topic, feedback from him regarding the class was that the class was informative and provided information and reassurance that unpaved roads here are being maintained correctly.

R oads

Wayco arrived on October 10 and began needed maintenance and repair work on Pequot, Sandy Pine, Lenape and Overbrook. One of the areas that needed to be addressed was a section of Overbrook Run between the intersections of Cree Trail and Flatbrook where water draining from wetlands located on the green area between Gwinnett, Oneida, Braxton and Overbrook was causing the road to collapse in the center. A drain pipe was installed to help better distribute

Get into the LOOP We have over 700 email addresses on our mailing list for folks to receive announcements of events at CLCA. You too can sign up by sending a request to clcaloop@ptd.net

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Training

D ues

2013-14 Dues notices were mailed in early October. The deadline for submitting a plan and payment was November 15th. Thank you to our members who have made dues a priority. If you are reading this and have not received your dues notice, please contact the office as soon as possible. In November accounts for 45 properties which included multiply owned properties by single owners, unpaid judgments and members who have been out of contact with the office regarding delinquent dues, were referred to Sunrise Credit for collections. After ninety days from assignment, unsuccessful collection files will be referred to the District Magistrate for judgments. This is an unfortunate step to take, however one that must be taken.

are mailed and/or emailed to members who are delinquent, several times each year. When members do not respond to the reminders and/or make no attempt to maintain a payment plan, it leaves us no option. To avoid collections, please keep in contact with the office and make sure that you are consistent with making payments.

As a reminder files referred to collections and/or the Magistrate will not be recalled until dues and expenses are settled.

R ecycling

Effective November 12, 2013 the recycling pick up day was changed from Friday to Tuesday. As a reminder, please crush all boxes and do not put Styrofoam or plastic bags* in the recycle bins. (*only plastic bags containing shreds may be placed in bins). Also as of September 1, 2013 recycling of certain materials is mandatory in Dingman Township and the burning of trash is prohibited. On a similar note we were notified by the Township that burning of yard waste was also prohibited. An inquiry and information supplied by one of our residents on this subject led to an inquiry to Dingman Township. It was learned that the law is under review by the Township and that the ban to burn yard waste is voluntary until further notice. All procedures set forth in Town Ordinances and Community rules must be followed when burning. If you have any questions, please contact the office.

O ffice R epairs

Mold and damaged insulation were found in the crawl space of the office. Bids were obtained and Cassagrande Contracting removed and replaced insulation and cleaned up the mold condition and an outlet and fan for circulation was installed. Work was completed in November.

Salt Shed

This building is used to store winter road materials. The original roof was deteriorating and the T-111 siding was showing signs of wear.

A new roof was installed over the summer and vinyl siding was completed in the fall to extend the life of the building.

A nnual Financial A udit

Each year our books are independently audited.

Accountants Beck, Gogolski and Poska are currently conducting an audit of Conashaugh’s records for 2012-2013. Results of the audit are due in February.

R ec E vents

Our new Recreation Chairperson Jessica Olcott has worked very hard to provide recreational events for adults and children. Thank you Jessica for your hard work and volunteerism.

On several occasions members have stated that they wish that they could have worked something Thank you to all who volunteer their time and out or, we should have called them. Reminders talents to our Community.

CONASHAUGHCOURIER • WINTER2014

COMMUNITY EVENTS

Not Just for the Kitchen We received word from one of our residents regarding the following: “I just wanted to pass on something we have discovered many times while out walking around the community (but did not know what they were until yesterday). We have found these small “whip-it” canisters laying on the ground in the beach parking area as well as alongside the road. (see attachment) When used to make whipped cream as intended, they are harmless. However, many people are using them as inhalants these days to get high—the canisters contain nitrous oxide. They can be purchased at Walmart legally as part of kits to make whipped cream which makes them easily accessible. I didn’t know what these canisters were until I had to complete some drug abuse awareness training for my job. It would be worth passing this along to security.

They may already be well aware of these items—in the case they are not, it would be good for them to know of this problem.”

The information was shared with security along with a picture of the packaging for the items of concern.

We are just sharing this info for our parents and guardians so that they may be aware as well.

PennDOT Donates Supplies for Clean Up Day

By Jeanne Calabrese

Thanks to CLCA member Cheryl Hussey who facilitated a donation of supplies from PennDOT for CLCA’s Clean Up Day last spring. Items donated included safety vests, work gloves and trash bags.

Clean up day was held in conjunction with CLCA Dumpster Day. A total of 15 volunteers worked cleaning up roads and waterways, recycling metals and electronics as well as hauling large amounts of trash into dumpsters. Dumpster Day workers included Neil Johnson, Larry Farnum, Fred Kline, Joe Kistle and Mike Stevenson. The road clean up crew included Annette and Josh Musano, Kate Green, Gary Dolgoff, Scott and Elizabeth Bailey and Jeanne Calabrese.

The spring dumpster day yielded a total of 16 tons of trash. A second dumpster day was held in September. That collection yielded 9.05 tons of trash. Volunteers for the fall Dumpster Day included Neil Johnson, Bob Weed, David Weed, Mike Stevenson, Larry Farnum, Fred Kline and Joe Kistle.

Thank you to all the volunteers who participated. If anyone would like to organize a road clean up or help with Dumpster Day this spring, please contact the office.

CONASHAUGHCOURIER • WINTER2014

PAGE 9

CONASHAUGH NEWS Residents Mourn Passing of Sgt. Mattner

Friendly Reminders

Continued from page 1...

officer. He also was a United States Marine.

After moving to this area with his family he joined Vector Security. Tom not only served Conashaugh but was also a member of the Dingman Township Volunteer Fire Department where he worked their Fire Police Team. He loved his family dearly and liked working in our Community.

Tom is survived by his wife Michele, his children Danielle, Sabrina and TJ and grandsons Deklan and Mason. He is missed tremendously.

Many of our residents expressed their appreciation for Tom as well as their sadness following his passing.

Please follow all traffic flow signs for the mailbox and school bus parking lot. These are both one way travel areas. All vehicles must remain parked while the afternoon Elementary and Primary buses are present in the parking lot. Thank you

2013 CLCA Rec Committee H oliday Decorating C ontest R esults Grand Prize***105 Hay Road 1st Prize Traditional ** 278 Seneca Rd 2nd Prize Traditional *** 104 Hart Court 1st Prize Lighting *** 101 Seneca Ct 2nd Prize Lighting *** 124 Cayuga H onorable M entions : 107 Iroquois Tr. • 169 Overbrook Run 135 Conashaugh Trail • 195 Oneida Way

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CONASHAUGH NEWS Important Reminders Regarding Snow Please note that overnight parking on CLCA roads is not permitted. This is especially important during snow events as doing so creates a hazard to our maintenance workers and a risk of damage to your vehicle. We are aware that the slope of some driveways makes it very difficult to exit and enter with ice and snow. If you need to park at the end of your driveway, please keep vehicle at a minimum of four feet from the edge of the road.

Shoveling and plowing snow onto roads from driveways and cleaning snow off vehicles in the road creates hazardous conditions and is a Safety Violation subject to fines. All property owners using private contractors to remove snow are responsible for alerting them of this regulation.

Aerobics!

EVERY TUESDAY & THURSDAY 6:00-7:00 PM In the Rec. Building

Keep kids and pets safe. Please do not allow them to play on or near snow banks along the roads.

Thank you for doing your part to keep our roads safe.

CONASHAUGHCOURIER • WINTER2014

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CONASHAUGH NEWS Security Reports MAJOR M.S. SCHONHORN

EVERYBODY LOVES SANTA!

JUNE 5 Citations, 2 IR (Investigative Reports), 20 NIR (Non-Investigative Reports), Mileage: 2176; Compactors: 582 ; Gunshots; power outage; burglar alarms (3); dog complaints (7); speeding; STOP sign violation by guest; kitten lost, kitten found, and house found. All Area and Building Check. All Vacant House Check. 77 Safety Observations. 56 STOP Enforcements. 56 Radar Details.

JULY 5 Citations, 3 IR, 8 NIR, Mileage: 2180, Compactors: 606. Dog complaints (5); tailgating; firearms; alarm at house; stolen VW, found. 105 Safety Observations. 45 STOP Enforcements.

Radar Details.

AUG 2 Citations, 5 Incident Reports, 11 NIR, Mileage: 2111; Compactors: 607 Gate damaged; stray dog; speeding; gunshots; un-secure house; house fire; stolen ATV. 77 Safety Observations. 56 STOP Enforcements. 67 Radar Details.

SEPT 7 Citations, 4 IR, 15 NIR, Mileage: 2088, Compactors: 525.

Found bicycle; STOP sign violations; dog complaint; bonfire; dogs dogs and more dogs, not like the movie “Stray Dogs; illegal parking; reckless driving; nuisance complaint; solar lights checked; suspicious vehicle; motorcycle accident; suspicious male; STOP sign violation.

50 Safety Observations. 73 STOP Enforcements. 65 Radar details.

Because of the early and tragic death of Sgt Mattner, one of our decent and professional security personnel, the end of year Security Report is currently not concluded.

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CONASHAUGHCOURIER • WINTER2014

CONASHAUGH NEWS Board Meetings The CLCA Board of Directors meets every second Saturday of the month. The meetings begin at 10:30 a.m. All are welcome!

Meeting dates for the remainder of the 2013-14 fiscal year are: February 8th March 8th

Icy Conditions The guide rail on Conashaugh Trail is the victim of icy conditions in January.

April 12th May 10th June 14th July 12th

August 16th

September 13th

Need to Pay Dues?

We accept Visa, Mastercard & Discover

NOW OFFERI NG H EATI NG OI L & KEROSEN E I N PI KE COU NTY

CONASHAUGHCOURIER • WINTER2014

PAGE 13

OUTDOOR & RECREATION Garden Ideas and Tips for Late Winter and Early Spring Will winter ever end? Those are the words that are heard often as January turns to February and thoughts of warm spring weather seem silly at best. As winter is wrapping up and the excitement of the coming spring is upon us we can prepare for the months to come by doing some things in the garden.

New Sign!

Our maintenance staff setting up the area for the new sign in the mailbox area.

Quick, before the buds appear, now is the perfect time to prune your deciduous trees and late-blooming shrubs while they are still dormant.

Always prune with a purpose: to get rid of sprouts growing at or near the base of the tree trunk, to remove dead, broken or crossed branches, to make plants more shapely opening up the center of the plant for good air circulation and sun exposure. Be careful with flowering shrubs that formed their buds in the late fall; pruning will result in losing flowers this spring, so prune wisely As temperatures begin to warm, and plants emerge from dormancy, slowly remove protective mulches. Don’t remove too early. A warm day may make you think spring is almost here but there may be more cold weather to come, and hard freezes are still possible.

A good guide for plant performance under local, low temperature conditions is the plant hardiness zone map. Our area is classified as zone 5b. That means a plant described as “hardy to zone 5b” can withstand a minimum temperature of -15°F. Keep in mind that climatic factors such as wind and sun exposure, snow cover and proximity to water combine to produce different “microclimates” which can influence plant adaptability and timing of certain garden chores.

Endless hours of enjoyment await you, but you have to pay your dues in the late winter and early spring. If you meet the plants basic requirements, they will be happy and your yard will be amazingly beautiful. Happy Gardening from the Ladybug.

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CONASHAUGHCOURIER • WINTER2014

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Staged Homes Sell Faster Nancy K. O’Hara, REALTOR® Office: 570-775-4000 Cell: 570-234-4892 PoconoLakeCommunities.com

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CONASHAUGHCOURIER • WINTER2014

PAGE 15

Neighborhood Watch We have been informed that there will be an informational meeting which will outline the best practices and guidelines for starting and maintaining a compliant neighborhood watch. Pocono Water Forest Community Member Michelle Giblin has been in contact with the Pennsylvania Police in Dunmore and has arranged for the them to host a meeting which is free and scheduled to take place Saturday March 1 at 11:00 a.m. at the Dingman Delaware School Campus. We do not yet have information regarding which building on the campus but will pass along information as it is received.

In the meantime anyone interested in attending is asked to RSVP by calling or emailing the CLCA office (clcaloop@ptd.net or 686-4000). This will ensure an adequate supply of handout materials at the meeting.

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CONASHAUGHCOURIER • WINTER2014