The Colonist OCT./NOV.2013

Vol. VII

Board News

Upcoming Regular Meetings: October 16th, 7pm & November 20th, 7pm at the Colony Clubhouse. Remember to check the web site; meeting dates are subject to change. Board meetings are open to all homeowners. Please check the agenda and come early to sign up if you wish to speak at the open forum, your input is valued.

Meeting agendas and approved minutes can be found on the Colony web page at www.colonyirvine.com Click on About Us then Board/Meetings tab. They are also posted on the Clubhouse information board. Agendas are posted four days prior to board meetings.

Revised Rules and Regulations / Architectural Guidelines / Facilities Rules: The board has completed reviewing all the member input and approved architectural guidelines and community rules. We would like to thank all those who took the time to review the documents and give their feed back. Look for the revised documents to be mailed soon.

Pool: After hearing from a number of members, the board approved extending date the pool will be heated. The pool will remain heated until November 1st.

Landscape: The board interviewed a number of landscape companies over the last couple months to compare with our current vendor Bemus Landscape. We are continuing to study these options.

North Walkway: The board has requested bids from a number of companies to recommend lighting configurations for the walk way at the north end of the Colony. We heard from many members that this area needs lighting to make it safer to walk at night. This will be discussed at the upcoming board meetings and your input in valued.

Halloween Family Fun Night Come one, come all to the Colony Clubhouse for Halloween fun!

Crafts, games, snacks and frivolity!

Costume parade and contest!

All ages welcome, costumes not required

to join in the fun!

When: Friday, Oct. 25 6-8 pm

Where: Colony Community Clubhouse Questions?: Contact the Colony Recreation

committee at

colonyrecreation@gmail.com

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: The Recreation Committee is looking for a few

good volunteers to help with the Halloween Party and other upcoming

events. Contact colonyrecreation@gmail.com

TEENS: Looking for some Community Service Hours? We would love to

have your help! If you are interested in volunteering or need more infor-

mation, please contact Eliza Holt at colonyrecreation@gmail.com

Colony 2013-2014 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Michael Jacobs President 714-305-9034

Chip McGehee VP Recreation, Pool Liaison 949-551-3500

David Braun Treasurer and Hearing Panel Liaison 949-552-4401

Myra Radlow Secretary and ARC Liaison 949-857-4633

John Allmann Landscape, Facilities Liaison ,Website 949-653-5770

John Jaeger Director at Large

Daniel Khorsandi Director at Large dkhorsandi@gmail.com

Colony Web Site www.colonyirvine.com

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Landscape Committee

The Landscape committee has been working with the city on the Culver entrance areas on both sides of Scottsdale. These areas have been under construction to improve the wheel chair ramp access and will take away some of the landscaped area. The city plan was to replace with the same plants that had to be removed; however the landscape committee has submitted a plan to the city to update the look to add color and visual interest to include: Pink Gaura, Yellow Dwarf Day Lily- Stella D’ Oro, Cranberry Dwarf Day Lily- Pardon Me, and White Iceberg Roses.

Architectural Committee

By: Dr. Avice M. Griffin

The Architectural Committee wants to invite you to their meetings, held the first Thursday of every month at the clubhouse, beginning at 7 p.m. If you want to discuss ideas, ask questions, want suggestions or help, we will always have time for you. For those homeowners presenting an application for approval, please make sure you include paint chips, brochures or samples that are necessary for us to understand your project.

We want to remind homeowners to bring in trash cans promptly; they are not supposed to be on the street longer than a 24 hour period. We also want to remind you about street sweeping. It really helps tidy up the Colony, so if you could move your cars to the driveway beginning about 7:30 or so, the sweeper can have a straight shot at the leaves and debris that collects in the street gutter. Look in the Calendar section of your Colonist for the street sweeping days.

Please remember that patio covers­ seen from the street need architectural committee approval; sometimes plans need proof of committee approval before the city will give their approval.

The committee is thinking about sponsoring information nights on safety issues, graffiti, repairs, and/or landscaping or home-remodeling ideas, maybe featuring local businesses. If you would enjoy this, or if you have other questions or suggestions, you may e-mail the head of the committee: (Eileen.tsai@cox.net) or join us at the clubhouse for our next two meetings, October 3, and November 7 at 7:00 p.m.

Pool News The pool will remain heated until November 1st. So

you can still enjoy the pool while the weather is nice!

A new bench was

installed poolside to replace the old concrete bench.

GRAFFITI IN THE COLONY

By: Dr. Avice M. Griffin

1. If a resident sees graffiti on city property, call the City Graffiti Hotline at (949) 724-7196.

2. If the graffiti is on private property, call the Irvine Police Department at (949) 724-7200. (24 hour line). Call Accell if it is in common area 949-581-4988

3. In either case, it will be reviewed by police be­tween 24-48 hours later. However,

a. Research shows that if removed within a few hours, "almost zero" recurrence. The longer it stays up (i.e. after 48 hours), the more likely it will happen again.

b. Remediation should include treating entire area, not just the "spot."

c. Remediation should be complete.

4. Tags ("Stickers"): special category.

a. Beast of a problem, because the backing tends to stick forever.

b. Growing problem all over nation.

c. Not considered graffiti unless it's gang-related, or profanity.

5. If it is not gang-related, it is

a. Still a crime (vandalism) b. Still leads to crime (general rule-breaking,

littering, theft,).

c. Impacts property values negatively by about 15%.

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Colony Honey-Do List By: Myra Radlow The well-maintained lawn has been an aesthetic goal and desired status symbol since before the American Revolution. In the 1950’s, shorter workweeks and the advent of the “suburban” neighborhood made a lawn a must-have for every American homeowner. But as times change, so must we; and Americans now have new choices for adorning the fronts of their homes. Two of these choices are particularly appealing for us in Southern California where water can be very scarce, and both are permissible changes in our Architectural Guidelines. One option is replacing your lawn with a synthetic turf, sometimes commonly referred to as “Astro Turf”. (I don’t have the space to go into the history of the invention of Astro Turf, but it is interesting and fun and I encourage you to check it out.) This product looks like real grass and can have a wear-life of up to 25 years. It costs a bit more than real turf to install, but should yield significant cost savings because it does not need water, fertilizer, or reseeding. It is safe for children to play on and normal pet messes can be cleaned up easily. On the down side, it can be hot to the touch on a very warm day and weeds can still occur. Another option is to replace your lawn with a native plant garden. A native plant garden can be a beautiful collection of colors, textures, shapes, and flowers. It will use much less water than a conventional lawn – or will survive on rainwater alone – and does not need any reseeding, therefore it will cost much less to maintain. Depending on what you plant, you may not even need to ever prune it, but weeds must still be removed. There are three native plant nurseries near us: Las Pilitas Nursery 3232 Las Pilitas Road Santa Margarita, CA 93453 www.laspilitas.com Native Grow Nursery 30900 Rancho Viejo Road, Suite 100 San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675 www.nativegrow.com

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Tennis Committee

Remember tennis court reservations are online. Sign up at ReserveMyCourt.com Our tennis facility name is Irvine Colony Club and ACCESS CODE is 3611 Make reservations online or call 877-662-6878

Remember only Tennis is allowed on the courts! Please, no skateboards or other activities are permitted.

Community Activities

31st Annual Holiday Faire

Irvine Fine Arts Center’s annual Holiday Faire. For family fun and holiday shopping for fabulous arts and crafts on display from over 150 vendors. See hand-blown glass, ceramics, jewelry, folk crafts, porcelain, dolls, clothing, holiday decorations and more! Proceeds from the Faire are put back into the arts community. The annual tradition includes a menu of delicious foods and desserts, including chili or baked potatoes with all the fixings in handmade ceramic bowls that you get to keep! The ceramics department is hard at work producing several hundred of these beautiful bowls just for the Holiday Faire. Don’t miss this opportunity to purchase original artwork and to support the art programs at the Irvine Fine Arts Center. Friday, November 8th 5:00-9:00 PM Saturday, November 9th 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM Irvine Fine Arts Center 14321 Yale Ave. Irvine 92604

$2 admission @ door Children 12 & under Free More information call 949-724-6880

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Do you have an item of general interest for the Colonist? Please submit your

article to colonistnewsletter@gmail.com

for consideration in upcoming newsletters.

The deadline is November 17 2013 Comments and suggestions are

welcome!

Community Phone Numbers Government Animal Control ························· 949-724-7740 City of Irvine ····························· 949-724-6000 Graffiti Hotline ························ 949-724-7196 Hazardous Waste Center ········· 714-834-4000 Heritage Library ······················ 949-936-4040 Irvine Unified School District ··· 949-936-5000 O.C. Fire Authority (business calls) ················································ 714-573-6000 Outdoor Pests, OC Vector Control ····································· 714-971-2421 x120 Police (administrative) ············ 949-724-7000 Public Works ···························· 949-724-7511 Recycling Information ·············· 949-724-7669

Utilities Waste Management ··············· 949-642-1191 Irvine Ranch Water District ····· 949-453-5300 Southern California Edison ······ 800-990-7788 Street Lights ···························· 800-655-4555 (Menu: 1 "power outage info" 3 other outage 3"street lights") The Gas Company ···················· 949-427-2200 Cox Communications ··············· 949-249-1212

Other: Shopping Cart Pickup, Any Store ················································ 800-252-4613 Walnut Shopping Center Security ·············································· 714-532-3152 Pool Maintenance, AquaTrends contact Accell (see calendar page for info) Sprinklers, Bemus Landscape contact Accell (see calendar page for info)

Colony Classifieds Pet sitter: Going away on vacation? Need someone to feed your pets or walk your dog while you’re gone? I can help you if you need a pet sitter. My name is Adam and I am 13 years old. If you’re interested please call 714-244-7656 Writing Tutor Available: All levels (K-12 and college) – special emphasis on writing skills that improve clarity and readability. I can also prepare students to answer SAT essay questions. For more information, call Myra Radlow, Ph.D. at 949-857-4633. Little Angels Family Child Care Managed by two sisters Elle & Azita. Free Play, Creative Arts, Outside Playtime, Circle Time/ Charts, Dance & Music. Fist Aid/ CPR, LiC# 304206336 Tel: 949 653 6137 www.thelittleangelschildcare.com

Tennis player: at Intermediate to Advanced level, 13 year old boy, is looking for a suitable Tennis player who can Practice/Rally with at The Colony Tennis Courts on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in the evening. Please call Devki Hoshing @949-232-8977 if interested. Are you a Colony Resident with something to sell or a service to offer?

Place an ad in the Colonist. Email colonistnewsletter@gmail.com for more information.

Tree of Life Nursery P.O. Box 635 / 33201 Ortega Highway San Juan Capistrano, CA 92693 www.californianativeplants.com

If replacing your lawn with a synthetic lawn or a native garden appeals to you, be sure to check with the Irvine Ranch Water District first. Right now they are offering rebates for removing your lawn. More information at: http://www.irwd.com/alwayswatersmart/rebates/turf-removal-rebate-program.html

And remember to fill out an Architectural Application found at http://www.colonyirvine.com/documents and get your proposed changes approved before you begin digging. The completed application can be submitted on-line, or brought to the monthly Architectural Committee meeting, 7:00 P.M. on the first Thursday of each month in the Clubhouse.

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Clubhouse Reservations Planning a party or event?

Reservations are easy to make! Email: goaccell@accellpm.com

or call: Lauren Swiderski Community Service Manager

949.581.4988 Ext. 265 Fax 949.581.9785

Accell Property Management Jennifer Fontana jenniferf@accellpm.com 23046 Avenida de la Carlota, Suite 700 Laguna Hills, CA 92653

Office: 949-581-4988 Fax : 949-581-9785 Office Hours: Mon-Fri 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Sat-Sun Closed For after hours emergencies call 949-361-3290

OCTOBER 2013

NOVEMBER 2013

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 ARC Meeting

7:00 PM Clubhouse

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6 7 8 9 10 Street sweeping

11 12

13 14 15 16 BOD Meeting

7:00 PM Clubhouse

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18 19

20 21 22 23 24

Street sweeping

25 Halloween

Fun Night 6:00PM Colony Clubhouse

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27 28 29 30 31 Halloween

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2

3 4 5 6 7 ARC Meeting

7:00 PM Clubhouse

8 9

10 11 12 13 14 Street sweeping

15 16

17 18 19 20 BOD Meet-

ing 7:00 PM Club-

house

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22 22

24 25 26 27 28 Thanksgiving Day

29 30