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LODGE LOG Blue Lake Springs Homeowners’ Association November 2017

Holiday Brunch

Sunday November 26, 2017

11:00am Mimosas

11:30am-1:00pm Brunch

Menu:

Eggs Benedict

Scrambled Eggs

Salmon Milanese

Roasted Potatoes

Waffles

Bacon & Sausage

Assorted Salads

Orange & Cranberry Juice, Coffee &

Tea

Adults: $25.00

Children (6-10): $13.00

Children 5 and under:

Free

Goody bags will be handed out for Children 10 and under, and Santa will be available for photos!

Reservation Required. Payment is due at time of reservation and members will be charged the

full amount for cancellations after November 23, 2017 as well as no shows. For reservations

please call (209)795-2357

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2017 Calendar of Events

Tuesday Evening Bridge First & Third Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m.

Patty Enos 795-3875

Thursday Morning Duplicate Bridge Second Thursdays at 9:30 a.m.

Bev Vasquez 795-1356

Friday Morning Bridge Every Friday at 9:30 a.m. Debbie Kushnir 795-0600

Bridge Lessons 1st and 3rd Wed. at 1:00 p.m.

Bobbie Neely 795-7815

(Please note for all bridge groups,

please call ahead to save a spot)

Mahjong First and Third Thursdays at 10:00 a.m.

Leni Salayko 795-7166

Texas Hold’em:

Second Thursday at 2:00 p.m.

(September 2017 through May 2018)

Brian Raley 795-2876

Potluck

Second Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m.

(September 2017 through May 2018)

Dodie Raley 795-2876

If there is any member

who knows of someone

who may need a get well

card or sympathy card,

please call the Sunshine Lady,

Sheila Silcox at 209-795-5724.

NEW OWNERS

Daniel & Kara Floriani Unit 13

Don & Giselle Alexander Unit 10

Adrian Vandervoort Unit 4

Jon Karpilow & Lori Cameron Unit 13

Rupesh & Samantha Garg Unit 11

Colin Fisk Unit 13

Clayton & Melanie O’Connor Unit 9

Monique Vandenberg & Joshua Erbes Unit 9

Steven & Pamela Bischoff Unit 5

Kenneth & Christi Cushman Unit 9

Dale & Vicki Yoshihara Unit 12

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Snowflake Lodge Restaurant is open year round Friday and Saturday nights to members and their guests. It is a full service restaurant serving an extensive, ever evolving menu featuring the finest food on the mountain prepared by Chef Marc Kirby and his talented team. With a full service dining menu, you are sure to find your new favorite! Although alcohol is not served, you are welcome to bring your own wine with no corkage fee. Snowflake Lodge always offers complimentary soft drinks. We hope to see you in the restaurant soon!

For Dinner reservations please call 209-795-2357. Walk-ins will be accommodated

as space allows.

SNOWFLAKE LODGE HOURS:

FRIDAY/ SATURDAY 5:00 pm - 8:30 pm (year round)

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Hello Blue Lake Springs Homeowners,

November already and the holidays will be soon be upon us! October was a busy month for all of

our committees! Thank you to the Finance Committee for delivering the 2018 Budget a month

ahead of schedule. The Finance Committee is striving to make our Association fiscally stronger and

has recommended several policy changes to the Board. Details will be forthcoming with the annual

billing. The Events Committee had a great success with the Fall event “A Taste of Broadway”. The

event was a sellout and many people enjoyed songs performed from 23 Broadway musicals.

Upcoming events being planned are the Holiday Brunch which is the Sunday after Thanksgiving and

the New Year’s Eve Party which is always a fun time. Watch the Log Lodge for more details on these

great events. The Summer Recreation Committee met and reviewed our summer activities. Several

changes and recommendations will be made for next summer to make our summer program even

better. The Long Range Planning and Facilities Committee is always reviewing our properties for

current and future usage. Thanks to all our Committee members for their dedication!

The Association continues to receive calls and emails about bear activity in our subdivision, particularly when bears get into trash containers. It is unsightly to see trash scattered about our

community. Unfortunately, the Association cannot force our members to use the bear proof trash

containers. To enforce usage of bear proof containers would take a membership vote. With the

adoption of our Fining Policy in September 2017 we are able to levy fines against those members

who disregard our CC&R’s. We have sent letters to those members who don’t dispose of their trash

properly. Future violations will result in fines. Please continue to contact the BLS Homeowners

Office if you see evidence of bears or other animals getting into trash containers.

At the October Board meeting, the Board tabled the Fire Break Grant Proposal for further research

and development. More information to follow on this subject as questions pertaining to the grant

are answered.

In closing, I would like to thank our Veterans for their service on November 11th, Veteran’s Day.

Also, Happy Thanksgiving to all our members!

Chris Gosswiller,

President

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From the General Managers Desk

ATTENTION MEMBERS,

STANDING DEAD TREES

If you have not done so, it is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT that each homeowner cuts down all dead trees on their property. Any dead tree standing can fall and hit a neighboring home, doing damage and can even be LIFE THREATING. If you have not done so remove your dead trees NOW! I know this seems a little harsh, but there are a lot of property owners who have still not removed dead trees that are now putting other owners and their property in jeopardy.

WINTERIZING

It seems that colder weather is in the near future. Please remember it is very important that you take the necessary steps to prepare your home for the coming winter season. Please visit the Blue Lake Springs Mutual Water Company Website at the following link http://blsmwc.com/tips/winterizing-home/. They give some very helpful hints to winterize your home for the season.

CULVERTS

It is important that you clean out the drain culvert that runs under the driveways. This will help to keep the water flowing in the drainage ditch where it belongs. Last year there was several areas in the development that were over flowing with water due to the culverts not being kept clean. If you do notice that drainage ditch require cleaning, you can call the Calaveras County Public Works Office at 754-6402 and report it. Please also call the Association office so that we can keep track.

Living with Bears

As you may or may not be aware, the Association is having problems with bears getting into garbage, and in some cases homes. This can be very dangerous and annoying to say the least. Please make sure to read the flyer in this month’s Lodge Log regarding bear safety. It gives helpful hints on living with bears.

Thank you, Tony Abila General Manager

If you encounter a bear in your home: Do not approach the bear.

Remove yourself from danger.

When safe, call 911.

Do not block any exits that the bear may use to escape.

Homeowner’s & Renter’s Guide to Living in Bear Country

California Department of Fish and Wildlife

WHEN TO CONTACT THE DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFEIt’s not uncommon to see bears in and around communities located near bear habitat. A bear sighting alone is not a cause for concern.

If a bear causes damage to your home or property, contact your Department of Fish and Wildlife Regional Office.

CDFW will provide strategies to make your property less attractive to bears, explain the depredation permit process and may conduct a site inspection.

Remember prevention is always the first step. It’s up to all of us to help keep bears alive and wild for generations to come.

TO REPORT A BEAR PROBLEMContact the California Department of Fish and Wildlife regional office nearest you:

Northern Region (530) 225-2300North Central Region (916) 358-2900Bay Delta Region (707) 944-5500Central Region (559) 243-4005South Coast Region (858) 467-4201Inland Desert Region (909) 484-0167Sacramento Headquarters (916) 322-8911

Alternate communication methods are available upon request. If reasonable accommodation is needed, contact the Department of Fish and Wildlife, (916) 322-8911 or the California Relay Service serving deaf and hearing-impaired residents using TTY/TDD phones, and speech-impaired callers at (800) 735-2929.

IF A BEAR ENTERS YOUR HOME

If you encounter a bear in your yard:Slowly back away. DO NOT approach the bear.

Allow the bear plenty of room to pass or withdraw.

Once you are a safe distance away, encourage the bear to leave by banging pots and pans or making other loud noises.

A Fed Bear is a Dead Bear

Once conditioned to human sources of food, bears will seek them out, creating conflicts with

humans. Attracting bears to urban areas can also increase risk of vehicle collisions, harming

both humans and bears. The bear’s behavior will not stop voluntarily,

and unless the nuisance behavior can be corrected, bears may be killed to ensure public

safety. In order to avoid these deaths, food sources must be removed.

People have a responsibility to the wildlife whose habitat

they are sharing.

Never Feed a Bear!For more information visit,

www.keepmewild.org

Visit your local home improvement store for supplies and information.

Bears are attracted to anything that is edible or smelly. Use the checklist below to help bear-proof your home:

Garbage problems can be solved with the purchase and correct use of a bear-proof garbage container. Save money by sharing one with a neighbor! For bear-proof containers and where to buy them visit www.dfg.ca.gov/keepmewild/products.html.

Wait to put trash out until the morning of collection day.

Don’t leave trash, groceries or animal feed in your car.

Keep garbage cans clean and deodorize them with bleach or ammonia.

Harvest fruit off trees as soon as it is ripe, and promptly collect fruit that falls.

Avoid using bird feeders. They are a powerful attractant.

Don’t leave any scented products outside, even non-food items such as suntan lotion, insect repellent, soap or candles.

Keep barbecue grills clean.

Keep pet food and pets inside.

Securely block access to potential hibernation sites such as crawl spaces under decks and buildings.

Keep doors and windows closed and locked. Scents can lure bears inside.

Consider installing motion-detector alarms, electric fencing or motion-activated sprinklers.

Remove all food from homes and cabins that will be unoccupied for an extended period of time.

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BLS Homeowners,

On Wednesday, November 1st, I had a meeting with PG&E representatives, Jojie Martinez, Contract Vegetation Program Mgr., Wood Mgt., Kelly O'Flynn, ISA Certified Arborist with Phillips & Jordan, Mark Heffley, Area Manager for Phillips & Jordan, Tobi Harvey, and our General Mgr., Tony Abila.

My concerns with the bark in the ditches and alongside our roads were answered by Kelly O'Flynn with his statement that PG&E was not going to remove it. In many areas, the bark has been removed from the ditches and piled up alongside the roads. When we get snow, it will just be pushed back into the ditches by the snow plow. I asked if they would come back to remove it, O'Flynn said “no”. That is when Mark Heffley stepped up and said that Phillips & Jordan will clean up the bark alongside the roads. He later advised me that there would be crews in BLS on November 6th to expedite the bark removal.

On my walk yesterday, I noticed one of the contractors removing logs from the ditches and they were scooping up the bark and putting it on the homeowner property to alleviate leaving it in the ditches. You will be responsible for cleaning this up on your property. That's the way it going to be.

Regarding the logs on your properties.....this is your wood. It belongs to you and not PG&E. If you haven't already contacted PG&E about the wood, you will

need to. There is a program for removing the logs. The information is on our website. The link is below:

https://www.pge.com/pge_global/common/pdfs/safety/yard-safety/

powerlines-and-trees/Wood-Management-Program.pdf

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As I've mentioned before, PG&E Debris Disposal Program was revised as of May 30, 2017. Call PG&E at 1-800-743-5000. State that your calling about tree

mortality in Calaveras County. Be persistent, you will eventually get to talk to a real person. If you have any difficulties, contact the following individuals:

Jojie Martine... Rim2@pge.com

Kelly O'Flynn... KLO6@pge.com

Our HOA CC&Rs require that we keep our properties in compliance with CALFIRE

PRC4291 (100 foot defensible space around all structures). Our Board of Directors has enacted a Violation and Fining Policy for homeowners who do not

comply with our CC&Rs. This policy was published in the October Lodge Log.

You need to start thinking about making arrangements for hiring a lot cleaner for next year to get on their lists. We have a list of approved lot cleaners available on our website that was distributed by the Ebbetts Pass Fire Department. Our first CALFIRE VIP (Volunteers in Prevention) Property inspection will be the week after Memorial Day weekend. If your property has not been cleaned, you will be in violation with our HOA CC&Rs and subject to the Violation and Fining Policy. The only exception will be if you have a contracted lot cleaner scheduled to clean your property according to the

CALFIRE PRC4291 requirements. You will need to notify coord@blsvip.com by

the first of May. I will be in the Lodge office on Tuesday's to respond to emails. I am also asking you to be conscientious in cleaning your lots from pin to pin, in

the ditches and alongside the road.

As of now, Gene Miller will be accepting pine needles with NO ROCKS. Once

CALFIRE determines fire safety, they will allow us to burn pine needles.

Call 209-754-6600 for burn info.

If you would like to get involved and be a CALFIRE VIP inspector, please let me know. We'd love having you help us out.

Jimmy Cooke, BLS CALFIRE VIP Coordinator

Taste of Broadway

The Fall Event took place on October 21, 2017 at the Snowflake Lodge. The Community Theater of Linden put on an amazing show, treating our guests to songs from 23 different musicals. Chef Marc and his staff prepared an amazing

dinner that included New York Steak Diane, and a scrumptious New York Cheesecake prepared by Karen. A big thank you to Louise Cooke and Linda

Penney who hosted the event. It was a smashing success!

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POTLUCK 2017 “LET’S GET SPOOKY”

We celebrated “Let’s Get Spooky” for October’s Potluck with one of largest turnouts

ever. We had 84 confirmed guests, and received close to 20 more surprises. A big

“thank you” to our callers Kaaren Babb, Kathy Enea, Anne Evans, Linda Penney,

Sheila Silcox, Bev Vasquez, Dana Weir, and Michele Stahlberg who not only did her

own calls, but she covered for Maureen Dinnocenzo, also.

Our kitchen committee, chaired by Linda and Bruce Utter, with help from Bobbi and

Larry Haskell and Harriet and David Johns, did a fantastic job of getting all the dishes

out and keeping the long line moving.

Our 50/50 raffle went to Kathleen Garmsen, and our Black Out Bingo game went to

Charlotte Hunt and Guy Pollak, who tied. In other games our winners were Chris

Gilbrech and Anne Evans who tied in our first bingo, with Mary Peterson and Chris

Fountain, who tied in our second bingo, and Bernie Tillotson and Dave Ryniec who

tied for our third bingo.

John Vasquez was asked back from a very brief retirement to cover for Kevin Andel

and he was assisted in pulling the bingo numbers by the very handsome Brian Raley.

Kevin will be returning for November’s Bingo. Maybe he will have some stories to

share from his European travels.

Thanks so much to Vernon for keeping us safe and to Thomas, for washing up all of

the potluck dishes (of which there were many).

Looking forward to seeing another big crowd at our next potluck, November 8, “A Time

to be Thankful.”

We love to have the big crowds, but please help us to set up for the crowds by making

sure you and/or your guests have been in contact with your caller. It’s very important

to get an accurate count to set up the room and to plan which potluck dish you will be

bringing.

Dodie Raley, Chair

Sue Pollak, Co-Chair

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Employee(s) of the Month

November 2017

Clayton Stanley, Quinn Stanley &

Mike Tyndell

Maintenance Staff This month we are honoring 3 members of our Maintenance team all

together. This past October, the Lodge hosted a large wedding and would

not have been able to pull it off without the help of these three. All of

them went above and beyond, and even helped in areas that they are not

accustomed to helping in and Management is truly grateful. Great job

guys!

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REMINDERS ABOUT THE SNOW SEASON

The Calaveras County Department of Public Works would like to remind the residents of the

County who live in areas subject to snow accumulation about the basic snow removal policies and

procedures. Snow removal services are provided on approximately 150 miles of County roads.

The State (Caltrans) provides snow removal services on State Highways.

The Calaveras County Department of Public Works has adopted the following policy regarding

snow removal and ice sanding on County maintained roadways.

Snow Depth. Snowplowing operations start when there are 4 inches of snow on the roadway.

Timing and Crowding. Once snow removal operations have begun, the County will continue to

plow snow and push it back to the shoulders 24 hours a day, 7 days a week until removal is

completed and in preparation for additional storms. During snowplow operations, a berm of snow

is left in front of all driveways becoming the responsibility of the resident to clear.

Priority. During a storm, main roads that provide access to state highways and minor

connections, as well as school bus routes, have priority over other roads.

Sanding. The County does not sand snow. Due to the financial impact they have designated

certain roads which will be sanded in order to maintain the main traffic routes. These include

school bus routes and major thoroughfares.

Chains. Calaveras County Ordinance No. 2519 requires vehicles to have tire chains or traction

control devices whenever necessary in order for vehicles to maintain traction while operating on

County roads.

Parking Restrictions. Calaveras County Ordinance No. 2154 prohibits parking during snow

removal operations and reads:

“The parking or standing of vehicles on the right-of-way of any county road during snow removal

operations conducted by or on behalf of the County is prohibited. ‘Snow removal operations’ shall

be deemed to be ongoing whenever snow is present on the right-of-way of County road.”

This law provides for all such vehicles to be towed (at

the owner’s expense) so as not to interfere with snow

removal operations and equipment.

Ice. Ice scraping operations are done only in the

daylight hours when the temperatures are sufficiently

high and the snow becomes slushy. Attempts to shave

ice under other circumstances have proven futile and

have the effect of polishing the ice making it even

more slippery.

Do not shovel snow or put snow from driveways in the

roadway as this creates a hazard for other drivers, a

liability for you and is illegal.

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BUSINESS OFFICE

CLOSED

Sat. Nov. 11, 2017 Veterans Day Thursday November 23, 2017

Monday December 25, 2017 Monday January 1, 2018

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Administration

General Manager,

Tony Abila

Assistant General Manager

Amber Meyer

Snowflake Lodge Restaurant

Lodge Operations Manager,

Amber Meyer

Snowflake Lodge Chef,

Marc Kirby

Facilities

Facilities Manager, Mark Owens

Summer Recreation

Summer Recreation Director,

Judith Anderson

Assistant Recreation Director

Veronica O’Boy

Security

Vernon Nicholson

Production of the Lodge Log: Blue Lake Springs HOA Staff

Blue Lake Springs Homeowners’ Association

Office Hours

Tuesday-Saturday ~ 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Office Phone: (209) 795-2357 ~ Fax: (209) 795-4438

Email: blsoffice@caltel.com

Post Office Box 712, Arnold, CA 95223

Web Site: www.blsha.com

Snowflake Lodge Restaurant

Friday and Saturday 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Please Call for Reservation (209) 795-2357

Summer Recreation (Memorial Day to Labor Day)

Recreation Office Phone (209) 795-4009

Email: blsrecreation@caltel.com

Board of Directors Meetings

Third Saturday, 9:00 a.m.

Your Association welcomes letters from members and will

publish them in the Lodge Log on a space available basis.

If necessary they will be edited for style and shortened to 200

words. Letters will not be returned to author. Formal policy is

on file at the Association office. Members should request a

copy of the policy If they are considering submitting a

Member to Member letter

Board of Directors

President, Chris Gosswiller

Vice President, Bev Vasquez

Treasurer, Guy Pollak

Secretary, Jimmy Cooke

Director, Bob Podesta

Director, Denny Clemens

Director, Bruce Utter

Blue Lake Springs

Mutual Water Company

Board Meetings: Second Saturday, 9 a.m.

Office Phone: 209-795-7025

Emergency: 209-795-7030

Post Office Box 6015, Arnold , 95223

Office is located next to the Arnold

Post Office at 1011 Blagen Road