2015 A Big Year for Calumet West

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1 K E N N E S A W, G A Spring 2015 Calumet West Neighborhood 2015 A Big Year for Calumet West New Pavilion Construction of our new Pavilion at the pool and tennis courts area will begin soon, and is scheduled to be ready for use at our new pool opening party on May 16. As was announced at our January Annual Meeting, each year we budget for a new capital project. After reviewing several options, your HOA Board voted to approve building a new Pavilion as the best use of this year s budget. HOA President, Corey Hageman, commented on this exciting initiative. This will be a great addition to our Pool and Tennis area, and will make our many social events even more enjoyable. It s a responsible way to continue our growth and make our neighborhood amenities the best in the area. The Pavilion will be positioned adjacent to the current pool house, so access to the pool, tennis courts and restrooms will be convenient. The first big event for it s use will be the Pool Opening Party May 16. In This Issue.. New Pavilion Egg Hunt Annual Meeting Landscape Tips Visit us online! We have a very active group on Facebook at Calumet West Subdivision Egg Hunt Hop on down to the pool area on Saturday March 28 for our annual Egg Hunt. This is a long standing tradition at Calumet West, and is always a big hit with the kids! The egg hunt will start at 2 PM, with two age groups. Kids please bring your baskets, and your HOA will provide everything else. There is even a rumor the Easter Bunny will be there! All Calumet West residents are invited, and there will be refreshments and games during the two hour event. The egg hunt will begin promptly at 2PM, after a group meeting to explain the official egg hunting rules. Parents please supervise your children to be sure every child has the opportunity to collect their basket limit of 10 eggs. Then we will hold an exciting egg relay, and of course the daring egg toss using uncooked eggs! There will be refreshments after, so we can all relax and catch up with our neighbors and friends. Just another example of our neighborhood pulling together. Special thanks to your HOA Social Committee for putting together this special neighborhood event! Julie, Sue, and Brooke, thanks for all you do!!!

2 Annual Meeting As required by our covenants your HOA held it s annual meeting January 20 at the Due West Methodist church. At the meeting your HOA Board gave a review of 2014, a budget update, and presented a vision for future neighborhood projects. The meeting was well attended, and there were some great suggestions how to further improve our neighborhood. Thanks to everyone who attended this important meeting! Your board wants everyone to know you have a voice with YOUR HOA. Besides the annual meeting, all board meetings are open. If fact at the meeting it was stated we need more volunteers to help with our numerous projects and events. The more involved EVERYONE is the better our neighborhood will be. At the conclusion of the meeting we took a group picture, and presented a check to Children s Healthcare of Atlanta for $4, This is the amount our neighborhood raised as a result of the Christmas Parade, Selling Luminaries, and donations at the Christmas House. This was our fifth year for this fund raiser, and was the largest donation we have made to the hospital. Just another example of our awesome neighborhood! New Board Elected At the annual meeting ballots were distributed to elect our new board. Board members serve a two year term, and half of the board positions come up for election every year. This provides for continuity and the opportunity for all HOA members to serve on the board if they wish. Here is your 2015 Elected Board: Mark Hellman Loretta Austin Patty Reinhardt Brett Lynn Also per our covenants your board elects officers at the first board meeting after the annual meeting. Please welcome Corey Hageman as your new HOA President! Corey Hageman President Loretta Austin Vice President Patty Reinhardt Secretary Brett Lynn Treasurer Corey Hageman Julie Whitehead Bill Alderson Dick Bell Compliance Update Your Architectural Compliance Committee (ACC) continues to do great work educating homeowners about our covenants and the obligation we all have to maintain our homes. As stated many times our individual home condition affects the entire neighborhood s home values. That means we have a responsibility to each other to maintain our homes in good condition. ACC Chairman Quincy Tillman stated, We definitely want to have a live and let live philosophy as we do this important work. And we also want every homeowner to know we are willing to work with them to address any violations. That said, for the benefit of all we must address situations that are clearly violations of our covenants. That is the purpose of the ACC and the responsible thing to do. If anyone has questions about compliance, we hope you will reach out to a board or committee member. Calumet West... A Great Place To Live! Page 2 CALUMET WEST NEIGHBORHOOD

3 Annual 2015 Dues New Due Date May 16 Wondering why you haven t received your 2015 dues invoice? Good News! Your HOA Board voted to extend the due date until May 16. HOA Treasurer Brett Lynn said, We have received numerous comments paying dues in February creates a hardship. Given the majority of our neighborhood expenses don t begin until the second quarter of each year, there is really no need to collect the annual dues earlier in the year. Fortunately our budget is in good shape, and this in no way will compromise our financial position. With this knowledge your Board of Directors voted to extend the due date for homeowners dues until April 1, 2015, with a window to pay between April 1 and May 16 (the day the pools opens next year). Bottom line as long as you pay your dues by the pool opening date there will not be any penalty. This is convenient as most homeowners attend the pool opening to pick up their new pool key. We hope this new due date is more convenient for all homeowners! Would you like to receive your dues invoice via ? If so please treasurer@calumetwest.com, and be sure to include your name, address, address, and phone number. Save a tree! Zone Leaders Our Neighborhood contains 10 Zones, and we are looking for Zone Leaders! A Zone Leader is someone who knows their neighbors (or wants to get to know them) and would be willing to help with communications and various community activities. Things like getting the word out for our social events, or helping out with distributing newsletters. Really easy stuff, and it s a great way to better know your neighbors! Sound like you? Please call Loretta Austin at to volunteer. Board Members Corey Hageman, President mhagemann11@yahoo.com Loretta Austin, Vice President gmal1@bellsouth.net Patty Reinhardt, Secretary reinrpar@comcast.net Brett Lynn, Treasurer brettlynn@gmail.com Julie Whitehead tarheel1933@juno.com Bill Alderson, Communications Bill.lee.alderson@gmail.com Mark Hellman mhellman@bellsouth.net Dick Bell ACC Members Quincy Tiller, Chairperson Ken Cearns Corey Hagemann Mike Walters Page 3 CALUMET WEST NEIGHBORHOOD

4 Maintain the recommended mowing height. Mow turf grasses often enough so that not more than 30 percent (1/3) of the leaf blade is removed in a single mowing. If more plant material is removed, the grass can become stressed and more susceptible to disease-causing organisms and insects. Keep mower blades sharp. Dull blades will shred the leaf tips, causing the turf grass to use more water, undergo undue stress and have a ragged appearance. Raise the mowing height during stress periods such as drought. Follow proper irrigation practices. Apply water when signs of moisture stress (e.g., wilt) are observed on 30 to 50 percent of the lawn. For most turfgrass species, wilted turfgrasses will have a dull to bluish-green color, leaf blade folding or rolling, and footprints will remain visible for a minute or longer after walking over the area. Apply enough water to wet the soil 6 to 8 inches deep. This is usually equivalent to 1 inch of water or 600 gallons of water per 1,000 square feet. To avoid runoff, the amount of water that can be applied in any single irrigation can vary with different soils. For example, the same amount of water will penetrate deeper into a sandy soil than a clay soil. If the soil becomes compacted, loosen it through cultivation such as core aeration. This will help the water penetrate the soil. Irrigate during dry periods in early spring and late fall. Late afternoon irrigating can encourage disease development. Watering after dew development (approximately 9:00 p.m.) and before sunrise (approximately 6:30 a.m.) is most efficient and will not increase disease problems. Apply fertilizer and lime according to soil test recommendations. Take soil samples to determine proper lime and nutrient requirements. Disease incidence can be increased by imbalanced fertility and improper fertilization. On warm-season turfgrass species, withhold the first spring nitrogen application until soil temperatures at the 4-inch depth are consistently 65 F. Remove excess thatch. If the lawn is not mowed, irrigated and fertilized correctly, thatch accumulation could create a problem. Excess thatch reduces water infiltration, creates shallow-rooted turf and encourages insect and disease problems. Disease-causing organisms and insects often survive and multiply in thatch. Excess nitrogen can lead to thatch accumulation. If excess thatch accumulates, the lawn will feel soft and spongy. For a thatch layer thicker than 0.5 inch, dethatching is advised. Allow for adequate light and air movement in shaded areas. Raise the mowing height in shaded areas to help the plant absorb the light that does penetrate the tree canopy. Design landscape plantings so that trees and shrubs do not restrict light penetration or air circulation to the turfgrass canopy. It may be necessary to prune nearby trees and shrubs to improve light penetration and air movement. In shaded areas, excessive moisture can persist within the grass canopy. Disease-causing fungi use this moisture to survive and infect the grass. Reducing fertilizer amounts by 20 to 50 percent compared to grass in full-sun areas also helps the grass in limited light environments. Follow recommended disease, insect and weed control practices. Correctly identify the disease, insect or weed prior to treating with a pesticide. Proper management practices can reduce pest problems and reduce the need for chemicals. Contact your local county Extension office for assistance. Lawn Tips Spring is Here! A few tips taken from the Georgia Extension Service Website If these measures are followed and disease or insect problems still develop, consult your local county Extension agent, visit or call ASK- UGA1 for appropriate recommendations, including cultural practices and chemical recommendations to reduce disease damage. Your local Extension agent can supply additional turfgrass management advice and information. The UGA turfgrass website, also has information on maintaining a healthy lawn. Follow UGA Turfgrass Specialists on for timely information.

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