A Newsletter of, by and for the residents of Pine Lakes Mobile Estates.
Now in our sixth year of publication!
* * * The following is a facsimile of our printed edition, * * *
containing the text of our articles:
We want this to be YOUR newsletter, and we�ll be looking to you, our neighbors, for short (300 word limit) articles and photos for our upcoming issues.
*** June � FATHERS
*** July - PATRIOTISM
*** August � our annual ANIMAL issue
*** September � Where were you and what were you doing on 9/11?
Please submit all articles, and photos to Annette Clift, on paper or via e-mail.
Publisher: Annette Clift 778-2195 [email protected]
Editor: Elizabeth Allbright 778-7541 [email protected]
Business Manager: Kay Grothe 778-3387 [email protected]
Distribution: Jonnie Stowe 776-1696 [email protected]
Our website: www.geocities.com/pineconepress/index.html
The deadline for our June issue is May 15.
RECREATION COMMITTEE OPEN MEETING, Friday, May 2, 1:00 pm. We will be covering many important subjects and need a big turnout. You�ll want to be represented, so come!
GAME NIGHT. Friday, May 2, 6:00 pm. Everyone is invited, but bring your own refreshments.
ITALIAN DINNER, Friday, May 9, at 6:00 pm. This event is sponsored by Pine Lakes Park Management. Be sure to sign up and come!
BINGO NIGHT, Friday May 16, 6:00 pm. $1.00 admission at the door, plus $1.00 per card. The admission money pays for snacks, and the $1.00 per card money is totally given out as prizes.
MEMORIAL DAY COOKOUT, Monday, May 26, 4:00 pm. Bring your own meat to cook on the outside grills, plus a side dish, salad or dessert to serve ten people. If you�d like help at the grills, our grill master will assist you. Remember to bring your own table setting.
PANCAKE BREAKFAST, Saturday, May 31, 7:30 to 9:30 am. $4.00 per person. Texas-size French Toast, Scrambled Eggs, Sausage, Bacon, Biscuits & Gravy, Juice and Coffee. Please sign up and bring your own table service.
LOOKING AHEAD:
SWIMMING POOL EXERCISES BEGIN! Monday, June 2, 11:00 am to noon. Classes will be held Monday, Wednesday and Friday during the summer. Everyone is welcome to come. Need more info? Call Maria, 778-7764.
Arthritis Foundation Pool Exercises will begin early in June, depending on the temperature, which must be at least 70 degrees by 9:00 am. These will be held on Monday, Wednesday & Friday, at 10:00 am.
Be sure to sign up ahead of time. We will need several volunteers to help with setup, serving and cleanup. Contact Roger to offer your assistance, or sign up on the sheet on the Bulletin Board.
HAWAIIAN LUAU, Date to be determined. We have two volunteers but need four more volunteers to make this happen.
Tai Chi Classes
Tai Chi Classes will begin on May 9th, 2008, at 9:00 am in the Clubhouse. There will be a one-time $18.00 charge for the six week series of classes. This will cover the instruction and manuals for the participants.
If you are still interested, please re-sign up at the clubhouse by May 5th. If you wish to pre-pay, Shirley Reitsma, our Treasurer, can accept your fee.
President Roger Olewinski 541-9050 oldski @cableone.net
Vice Pres. Ken Tolliver 442-3770 [email protected]
Secretary Jonnie Stowe 776-1696 [email protected]
Treasurer Shirley Reitsma 708-0923 [email protected]
Sunshine Comm. Joyce Wilson 778-3534 [email protected]
New Resident Greeter Faye Cable 776-0390 [email protected]
E-mail Address: [email protected]
By the time you read this, we will have finished all the lessons in the Bidding book. Now we are starting on the Play of the Hand book. If you haven't been taking the lessons up to now, this would be a good time to start. Besides studying the various ways of playing a hand to take the most tricks, we review the basic bidding. We will be happy to work with new players to the game of bridge if you are willing to come at 9:00 AM before the regular lessons start at 10:00 AM. Summer people, you are just in time to join us. The lessons are fun and bridge is a great game. Just call me to let me know you are interested.
We play casual duplicate bridge every Thursday night at 7:00 PM. We always welcome new players. It is not necessary that you have played duplicate bridge before; you will enjoy our duplicate games. The sign-up sheet is in the Billiards Room. If you would like to play but do not have a partner, let us know and we will try to find a partner for you.
If you have any questions about the lessons or our regular Thursday night game, please call or e-mail me.
Millie Stead
776-8361
[email protected]
P.S. We will have a one-time change for our duplicate bridge from Thursday, May 8 to Wednesday, May 7, due to the PLAMHO meeting on the 8th.
LIBRARY SCHEDULE:
May 4 � Suzette Brookshier
May 11 � Donna Yakel
May 18 � Betty Correll
May 25 � Ann Civiletti
J J J J J
We need more volunteers to work in the Library. Call Patty Evert (443-0164) for more information.
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There is a stool in the Craft Room, for volunteers who happen to be vertically challenged.
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The new schedule for May thru August is posted in the Library.
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If you are not able to serve at the scheduled time, please call Patti Evert, 443-0164.
15+ Club Concluded
By Ron Woerner
1. Dolores and Don Hams. Dolores and her first husband were vacationing from Michigan at Point of Rocks RV Park when they were steered to Pine Lakes. They fell in love with the area immediately, and in 1985 they moved in, renting for a year before purchasing a home on Santa Fe Court. Meanwhile, Don, also originally from Michigan, and his first wife moved to Prescott from Phoenix in 1982, purchasing a home in Forest Highlands, just off White Spar Road.
In 1992, Dolores and Don, by then both single, met at a dance class at the Sheraton Hotel, now the Prescott Resort. It took two years, but in 1994 Dolores and Don were married at the Pine Lakes Clubhouse, the first wedding ever performed there. After a honeymoon in Maui, they returned to their new home at 50 Oakmont, where they reside today. They say that even though there have been many changes in both Pine Lakes and Prescott since the 1980's they still "absolutely love it here."
2. Annette Clift. Annette's husband, Ray, retired from Boeing in 1977. They lived in the Northwest and were members of a hiking club, the Seattle Mountaineers. However, Annette says that they eventually "got tired of hiking in the rain!" They contacted various Chambers of Commerce by mail, a lengthy process in those pre-email days. They checked out Flagstaff, but it was too cold. They checked out Phoenix, but it was too hot. They then checked out Prescott, and in the words of the old story, it was just right!
Annette and Ray visited and tried several activities such as a spaghetti dinner at church and hiking with the Prescott Outing Club. They liked everything, especially the friendliness of the people. However, not yet having a place to stay they put their belongings in storage. A lady at the storage facility recommended Pine Lakes, and in 1977 Annette and Ray moved into 117 Briar.
Ray has passed on now, but Annette still lives on Briar and intends to stay. She said she has friends here, Ray is buried here, she has put down roots and is part of a real community. In short, she says it all can be summed up in one sentence: "This is home."
When they drove into town, Joyce fell in love at first sight, especially since the mountains reminded her of southern California. She told Bert, "I want to live here." After a real estate lady directed them to Pine Lakes, Joyce looked around and said, "I want to live right here." Bert was a little more cautious, so in October of 1991 they moved into a rental, and six months later they bought 112 Alpine, their home today. They have never been sorry. In addition to the scenery, Bert and Joyce love the sense of community at Pine Lakes. They say they have good neighbors, and over-all, it just feels like family.
4. Barbara Haug. Barbara and her husband lived in Fresno, California, for 15 years before he retired. When retirement finally arrived, they began reading those "Best Places to Retire" books, and lo and behold, there was Prescott. Again. They drove over one weekend and arrived in the middle of a March snowstorm, but it didn't faze them as the snow melted quickly. They returned some time later, and the Chamber of Commerce directed them to Pine Lakes.
At first, Barbara said �No,� because she was not about to live in a mobile home. She changed her mind when she agreed to at least look and saw that Pine Lakes was in a beautiful setting and had tennis courts and a pool, two facilities for activities that Barbara and her husband loved. In 1990, they became full time residents.
Barbara regrets that the small town quality of Prescott is disappearing. She liked both Prescott and Pine Lakes better when they were smaller. Still, she is fond of her church, enjoys the pool and the people, and echoing so many others, lives here because it is home.
Continued on page 5
5. Don and Donna Hackett. In 1983, after 36 years in the teaching profession, Don took early retirement and he and Donna moved from Mesa to Prescott. Don doesn't like snow, but his experience with Prescott had been with mild winters. However, their first winter here saw the heaviest snowfall in years! Now, they escape our winters by going to California.
The Hacketts discovered Pine Lakes by accident. Driving around the area one day, they saw a sign on Iron Springs Road pointing to Pine Lakes. Don saw "Lakes," and since he loves the water, checked it out, and they were sold. When asked what he remembers about those early days, Don recalls that there was much more wildlife. He also remembers the need for a big freezer, as the roads were not well kept nor well plowed in the winter, and travel was quite difficult. The Hacketts feel lucky that much of Pine Lakes is bordered by National forest, helping deter encroaching growth. Their ties to the area are strengthened by the closeness of their daughter and grandchildren in Phoenix.
on Container Gardening!
Courtesy of Ken Lain, the Garden Guy
I recently took a day off and played in the yard. I started with all the container gardens, sprucing them up with new flowering colors. Gardening in containers is easy, but there are some techniques that guarantee great-looking container gardens.
Larger is better with containers. The greater the volume of potting soil in the container the easier it is to keep watered in summer and to resist freeze damage in winter. I like to use containers that are at least 14 inches in diameter and in depth. This size easily accommodates medium size shrubs and any flower, vegetable, or herb. For trees and large shrubs I prefer containers that are about wine barrel size, a minimum of about 20 inches.
The correct potting soil can mean the difference between success and struggle in container gardens. A good potting soil will be lighter than dirt in the yard so it can drain and breathe, but heavy enough to retain moisture during summer�s heat. Potting soils are made to plant directly into so no blending or mixing of additives is needed. Try to find a potting soil that matches what the plants are already growing in when purchased. This way plants make a quick transition between the soil they grew up in and their new container soil. At my garden center we only sell one potting soil and it's the same one the plants are started in at the farm.
I arrange container gardens much like I do plants in a flower bed. Cluster similar colored pots together and place in groups of 3-5 for the best look. Have a tree, some roses, a shrub with flowers flowing over the pot rims for a great look. It's easy to do, and lots of fun to play with all the new pottery colors while combining different plant types.
Photo by Annette Clift
Baby Girl B � Annette Clift and her mother, Loretta, in Minneapolis, MN
Baby Girl C � Kay Grothe and her mother, Etola, in New London, WI
PLAMHO GENERAL MEETING
Thursday, May 8, 7:00 pm
in the Clubhouse
* * * * * *
We�ve invited the president of AAMHO, plus Pine Lakes� owner and managers to join us in discussing matters of importance to all residents. Please bring your questions, ideas and concerns in writing to this meeting.
* * * * * *
New and renewal Membership Dues
will be accepted at the meeting.
* * * * * *
Please watch the bulletin boards
for late-breaking information.
* * * * * *
~ Everyone is invited to come ~
Refreshments will be served!
Notes from our April 1 PLAMHO Meeting:
The meeting, held at 7:00 pm in the Clubhouse, was well attended and was conducted according to Robert�s Rules of Order. Copies of the Rules were distributed before the meeting began, and Secretary Elizabeth Allbright explained how the rules would apply to our PLAMHO meetings.
President Betty DellaCorte and Past President Carole Urbanski reported on the 21st Annual Meeting of AAMHO (our parent organization) in Mesa, AZ. Betty read excerpts from the minutes of that meeting. Two very informative websites were mentioned, and we�re including them in this newsletter for your convenience:
Arizona Department of Fire, Building and Life Safety, www.dfbls.az.gov This website has a complaint form which can be filed with the Office of Manufactured Housing, in case you have unresolved problems with your manufactured home.
Attorney Michael A. Parham�s website, www.michaelparhamlaw.com Mr. Parham works with MHCA, the Manufactured Housing Communities of Arizona. Read especially the articles on the page pertaining to �MHC L-T.�
Also, be sure to read the entire minutes of our April 1 PLAMHO meeting, which have been posted on the Bulletin Boards at the Clubhouse.
* * * * * * * * *
2008 PLAMHO Board of Directors:
Betty DellaCorte, President 541-9890
Elizabeth Allbright, Vice President
and Secretary 778-7541
Bill Jones, Treasurer
and Grievance Committee Chair 778-9499
Marilyn McDill, Membership 708-0864
Carole Urbanski, Past President 717-9936
* * * * * * * * *
Please note that AAMHO is the parent organization of PLAMHO, our local Homeowners� Association. AAMHO is the Arizona Association Manufactured Home & R.V. Owners. When you join PLAMHO, you are automatically enrolled in AAMHO. The following is taken from an article by Ron Feinstein, president of AAMHO, published in January, 2006:
�Why should I join AAMHO? Because belonging to this non-profit organization is for the same reason you are a member of AARP or AAA, for example. There is strength in numbers, and AAMHO, like the other two mentioned organizations, protects its members� interests through legislation, education, communication and public relations. It is an inexpensive form of insurance that costs a household less than fifty cents per week. AAMHO�s sole reason for existence is to protect the interests of all of us who own manufactured (mobile) homes and/or RV�s and who live in parks that rent us our home sites. It is your voice at the Arizona State Legislature and State Administration. AAMHO lobbies our elected State officials and also acts as a �watch dog� to ensure that any proposed changes to the Arizona Mobile Home Parks Residential Landlord and Tenant Act or the Recreational Vehicle Long-Term Rental Space Act are beneficial to all of us living our unique lifestyle. Every person living our lifestyle should be an AAMHO member. You wouldn�t drive your car without having it insured. Living our lifestyle and not being a member of AAMHO is like driving an uninsured car.�
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PLAMHO dues are $25.00 per calendar year. $24.00 goes to AAMHO to support its work on our behalf with the Arizona State Legislature, plus its other operating expenses. A mere $1.00 remains in our PLAMHO treasury. Come to our May 8 meeting and bring your checkbook.
At the bottom of Page Seven, we featured the following photos:
FOR HIS SIX YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE PINECONE PRESS!
Our Feature Writer, Ron Woerner, is moving on (no, not away from Pine Lakes!) to pursue other opportunities. He will be serving as Editor of The OLLI Forum, the monthly newsletter of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, based at Yavapai community College. He has been very active in OLLI, facilitating classes in American literature, Shakespeare, poetry and philosophy.
Ron has been with the Pinecone Press from the day we started, back in October, 2002. Ron has worked diligently to produce many kinds of articles for us, including stories of his & Joan�s travels and biographies of our Pine Lakes residents. We count 37 biographies penned by Ron over the years.
We hope that Ron will find time to contribute occasionally to our Pinecone Press. He is not really leaving us, just vacating his position on our newsletter staff. Best wishes to you, Ron!
FROM YOUR RECREATION ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT:
I would like to thank the volunteers who stepped forward during the Sloppy Joe Dinner, April 14. It was a real pleasure for me to be able to just sit and enjoy the evening.
Now, however, we have two more occasions where a large volunteer group is needed. You the Residents of Pine Lakes asked for the Annual Picnic, paid for by Management, to be an old-fashioned picnic. I have been working on putting this together. I will need at least six to eight volunteers to help set up and serve for this event. You will not be required to set up the tables or do the cooking, but we usually have well over a hundred people attending. The Recreation Board cannot do this by themselves so please call me or sign up in the clubhouse to help us with this event.
I sincerely hope I see the same renewal of volunteerism I saw last week so this Club will continue to grow. I would again on behalf or the Officers of the Recreation Association say, �Thank you for your support of the past year. �
Roger Olewinski
A REMINDER ABOUT THE YELLOW SHEETS:
In our Pinecone Press April issue, we inserted a yellow sheet in each copy that we delivered to you, our Pine Lakes neighbors. The purpose of the yellow sheet is to give you a convenient way to let us know if and when you will be away from Pine Lakes, so that we can stop delivery to your home while you are gone.
If you�d like to continue receiving our monthly newsletter while you are away, you must supply us with self-addressed-stamped envelopes, one for each month you are gone.
Jonnie has placed a wire basket on the small table in the Billiards Room where you can place your filled-out yellow sheets and your envelopes. If you need another yellow sheet, just ask Jonnie, 776-1696.
As previously announced, the entire text of our Pinecone Press newsletters, as well as all the photos in color, can be read and enjoyed on our website,
www.geocities.com/pineconepress
This is for the convenience of all of you who have access to the Internet while you are at home or away. Also, you may invite your family and friends to view our website.
However, our special activities are listed on Page Two, above.
Our regular. repeated, activities include:
Mah Jongg, Monday & Wednesday at 9:30 am
Ladies' Billiards, Tuesday at 9:00 am
Men's Billiards, Wednesday at 10:00 am
Ladies' Crafts, Wednesday at 9:30 am
Duplicate Bridge, Thursday at 7:00 pm
Hiking Club on Thursday mornings, their schedule posted in the Billiards Room.
New: Tai Chi Class, Fridays at 9:00 am, May 9 thru June 13.
Thank you for browsing this facsimile of our printed edition.
We'd like to know what you think.
E-mail me with your comments. Thanks, Annette
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