Annual Easter Egg Hunt
Join us Saturday for some family-friendly fun! Photos with the Easter Bunny, Train Rides, Crafts, and More! Bring your Easter Baskets and cameras! The hunt begins promptly at 10:30 AM.
Nominating Committee Solicitation
The Nominating Committee is comprised of one Board Member who serves as Chair and two or more additional members of the Association. The Board deferred the appointment of a Nominating Committee at the last meeting as we only had one volunteer. If you have an interest in serving, please complete the below form and return by Wednesday, March 13, 2019. The Nominating Committee will formally review candidacy applications from homeowners who apply to run for the Board of Directors and make appropriate nominations for the June 2019 annual meeting. The Board of Directors will be appointing a Nominating Committee at the March 19, 2019 Board Meeting. Attached is the adopted Charter that further describes Nominating Committee responsibilities.
Should you have any questions regarding this mailing, please call us at 949-425-1477.
Fiddleneck – Poisonous Plant Toxic to Horses
While this time of year brings lush green hills to the Nellie Gail Ranch community and Equestrian Center, please be aware of the potentially toxic plants that are often lurking among the tall grass. Fiddleneck is one of the many plants that can be toxic to horses and has been seen throughout the hills behind the Equestrian Center and around the community.
Nellie Gail Ranch open space is maintained in a natural state other than annual efforts to perform weed abatement late spring. Horses and pets should not be permitted to graze on Association trails or slopes. Homeowners will also want to monitor what is growing on their open space private property as well.
Please take a minute to select the below link from ucdavis.edu and read the article about Fiddleneck and inspect any areas before you allow your horse to graze to avoid ingestion.
Clubhouse Refresh Update
Work on the clubhouse has been moving forward despite Mother Nature’s efforts to thwart us this year. Our completion date has moved from mid-March into April but we are continuing to make substantial progress. The front exterior framing is taking shape as we have moved from the office to the front of the Clubhouse. Unfortunately, everything is covered with plastic to protect it from the elements so photos don’t do it justice. On the interior, footings are being poured for the structural elements, much of the framing is complete and plumbing and electrical will start to be installed within the next week or so.
While the amount of accessible Clubhouse space has been reduced during construction, we have been able to keep appropriate space open for parents and players to gather in the cold evenings. We again thank our homeowners, swim participants and tennis members for your patience. We are excited to see these long-awaited maintenance projects coming together and we look forward to showing them off to you upon completion.
Happy Valentine’s Day
We wish all of our Nellie Gail Ranch homeowners a Happy Valentine’s Day. We hope you enjoyed the time with someone special in your life. For those of you who have attended our Wine and Chocolate tasting event in the past, we regret we could not host it this year due to Clubhouse construction. We are in the planning stages of an event to celebrate Grand Re-opening of the Clubhouse and look forward to getting back on track in February 2020 with more wine and more chocolate!
Holiday Hours
The Nellie Gail Ranch Owners Association office will be closed Monday, February 18, 2019, in observance of President’s Day.
The Tennis & Swim Club will have normal hours, from 6:00 am to 10:00 pm.
February 19th Board Meeting – Association Clubhouse
The regularly scheduled February 19th Board Meeting was previously noticed for the Equestrian Center Clubhouse. However, we still have access to most of the Association Clubhouse space so we will instead meet at our regular location. The meeting and Homeowner Forum will be held on Tuesday, February 19, 2019, at 7:30 p.m.
Electric Meter Pedestals
This week the first three of ten electric meter pedestals have been replaced with stainless steel enclosures. One exciting component of this project is the opportunity to consolidate six electric meters with six irrigation controllers in dual enclosures thus reducing cabinet blight by eliminating six enclosures from the street. Look for the March 2019 issue of The Pony Express which will have before and after pictures after we complete the work.
Trail Grading / Rain Maintenance
It’s a very busy time for our trail maintenance vendor Boulder Earthwork. Following each rain, they clear mud and debris from the street that has washed off the trails. Then they evaluate the sandbags and replace or adjust as necessary. After that the v-ditches and catch basins are cleared to be ready for the next rain. Then after the sun returns and the trails dry, the weeds begin to grow and Boulder grades the ruts and weeds out of the trails. This cycle repeats throughout our 25 miles of trails each rain event throughout winter and spring.
Thank you for your patience, it does take time to get to all the trails, especially when it rains weekly as it has so far this year. Boulder has a route of priority areas that we know to look for right after heavy rains but if you are out and about on the trails and see anything that needs to be addressed, please text a photo and location to us at 949-933-8546 and we will be sure to inspect and address as needed.
Vacation Home Safety and Security Tip
Laguna Hills Police Services reports that a recent break-in appears to have been targeted as a result of trash containers being left on the street in front of the home several days after trash pick-up. This tip-off that someone may not be home resulted in a break-in and theft. Police Services requests we remind Nellie Gail Ranch homeowners to bring in their trash cans promptly and have someone pick up newspapers or flyers daily if you are going to be out of town.
This link has other tips to prevent crime:
http://www.ocsd.org/documents/sheriff/staysafe/StaySafeOCBrochureOutreach_PR.pdf
And remember, if you see anything suspicious please call 911 if an emergency or Sheriff Dispatch at 949-770-6011.
