Bullerman Park Forest

Park Forest Community Association Newsletter 5/08

May 09, 2008

PARK FOREST COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER
MAY, 2008

SUMMER PARTY AT THE POOL

The association is sponsoring a summer party and carry-in dinner to be held at the Park Forest pool and grounds on Saturday, June 14, 2008, from 4 pm till 7:30 pm. All Park Forest residents are welcome and swimming is free to all during that time. Lifeguards will be on duty. Residents who wish to enjoy the pool are asked to wear swimsuits and abide by all pool rules while in the pool area. Children need to be accompanied by an adult and you will need towels. Pool representatives will be available for information about pool memberships.

In addition to using the pool, other activities are planned including:
?˜ Our fire station will bring a fire truck to the pool parking lot for the kids to see and for them to get a chance to talk to real firemen.
?˜ There will be a raffle for a bicycle. Tickets will be sold at the event for $1 each or 6 for $5. The winning ticket will be announced toward the end of the party and is good for a gift card to select the winner?’s choice of bicycle (up to $80.00).
?˜ Also planned are a euchre tournament, an age-group basketball accuracy contest, and a beanbag toss.
If you are not interested in activities, there will be comfortable seating for relaxing and visiting with your neighbors and enjoying the?…..
GRILLED HAMBURGERS AND HOTDOGS (BUNS TOO) PROVIDED BY THE ASSOCIATION
This is a carry-in, so let us know what you would like to bring when you RSVP to Billie Samec at 485-9078 by June 10th. Your contribution should serve 6-8 people. Suggestions are: vegetable salad, fruit salad or plate, dessert, soft drinks, iced tea or bottled water, baked beans. The association will provide plates, plastic utensils, and napkins.

Volunteers are needed to organize and monitor activities, help with set-up, and to help with clean-up. Please contact Shawn Baker, chairman of this event, at sbake4twenty@yahoo.com or call him at (574)607-8284).

Residents are encouraged to walk to the pool as parking will be extremely limited. If you need a ride, let Billie know when you RSVP and someone will help you out.

This is a wonderful opportunity for all of us to meet our neighbors and enjoy some fun together at no cost! Everyone who lives in Park Forest is welcome! Please come

OTHER PARK FOREST NEWS

The Park Forest board met on Thursday, May 8, 2008. This meeting conflicted with the Northeast Area Partnership meeting so Jim and Sally Huhn attended that meeting for us. Thank-you Jim and Sally. Because of the scheduling conflict we have again changed the board meetings. They will be held the 3rd Thursday of each month. If you have any concerns about Park Forest contact a board member to have those concerns addressed at the meeting. You will get feedback from the board.
Association dues continue to come in and we are grateful for that. However, there are still approximately 70 properties with outstanding dues. Board members will be attempting to contact these owners directly in the near future. The cost of snow removal this winter came to almost $4000.00 and has been the major expense. Excluding the properties on Stellhorn and Trier Roads, we all benefit from our contracted snow removal. We need the dues money if we are to have other amenities such as a published newsletter and neighborhood support in the future. It is true that unpaid dues are collected from homeowners at the time of their selling their property, but the association needs the money for current expenses and projects. Please pay your dues.

Residents are reminded that all trash containers are to be stored out of sight of the street during the week. This is a city ordinance. Our trash pick-up is Wednesday and containers should be placed at the curb Tuesday evening and removed to appropriate storage by 6 pm on Wednesday evening. Recycling pick-up occurs on alternate weeks. Newspapers, inserts, and other paper, including cardboard (larger pieces should be cut small enough to fit in the provided hamper), go in the brown hamper. Plastics, glass and metal go in the yellow hamper. Styrofoam is not a recyclable at this time. Following trash pick-up there may be some debris in the street that should be cleaned up by the residents. Remember to call the city all-purpose number.. 311.. to arrange pick-up of larger items you wish to dispose of. If it won?’t fit in the regulation bin, it will be picked up if you call ahead.

CITY ORDINANCES
If you have questions pertaining to what rules there are for residential property, you can go online to the City of Fort Wayne website to read the entire code for residential and business ordinances. There you will find information about what can be built on our properties, maintaining open spaces on the property, and height of buildings and how they may be used. You will also find that we cannot operate businesses from our homes. This makes sense because it is not beneficial to our neighborhood to have visible business equipment in the addition or non-residents parking cars here. It is important to maintain the residential quality of our addition. In addition there are specific ordinances pertaining to parking of recreational vehicles and boats. If you have questions or concerns you may call the Fort Wayne Planning Department at 427-1129.

SAFETY CONCERNS
There have been some vehicle break-ins in Park Forest recently. We are reminded that we should not leave any items of value in our parked cars. Do not leave your automatic garage door opener in your vehicle. Thieves will smash the car window and then have access to your home.

Also, now that we are experiencing warmer weather and longer daylight hours, remind your children of basic safety. It is not safe to play or hang out in the streets. It is important that children know bicycle safety. Know where your children are. We are a quiet neighborhood, but nothing is guaranteed, including your child?’s well-being.

Drivers, please obey the speed limit. In a residential area such as ours 20 mph is the limit. Also refrain from throwing trash, cigarettes, or cans from your car. It makes a mess for someone to clean up and is unsafe. Be very cautious when backing your car. Children are everywhere. If you have a young person with a new driver?’s license, please caution them as to their driving here in Park Forest.

BOARD MEMBERS
President: Billie Samec 485-9078
Vice-President: Steve Blair 486-8306
Secretary: Mary Bordner 492-4176
Treasurer: Jerry Lawlor 485-0883
Membership: Tim Young 492-2957
By-Laws: Katie Eckrich 485-8794