ICE CREAM 5 PET FIRST AID 8 PHOTOCORNER 9 FINANCE 10 ADVERTISERS 12 ADVERTISING 13 DRESSES 15 4TH OF JULY 16 FIREWORKS 20 RATTLESNAKE 21 FLAG 24 REFRIGE_RAG 28 CALENDAR 29 K. Hovnanian's Four Seasons at Palm Springs Community Association 3800 Four Seasons Boulevard Palm Springs CA 92262 7603233008 Activities Director's Report Cindy announced that there would not be an open house this year, but she requested and received the Board’s permission to provide flu shots on October 29th, from 10 am to 1 pm as in past years. Cindy further gave a synopsis of the events to come this year among them an ice cream sundae social planned for Saturday June 18, a fashion show in November and a holiday party in December. Common Area Landscape Committee Report by Cy Hegerich There was a discussion of a mistake made by Desert Water and the meter that they have been reading in error for the past several years. Apparently the error resulted in the HOA being charged for only 10% of the water we were actually using. They will not be back charging us, but warned we could expect to receive much larger bills in the future. It was pointed out that several steps taken by the Committee to lessen our water usage (removal of turf and plants and addition of rock, installation of a device to turn off water during rains, etc..) will turn out to be very fortuitous for us in light of this new information. They were also asking for funds for “Year 2” of our 5 year master plan to be funded in 2012. This was referred to the Finance Committee. Diana also asked that displays be made available at Board meetings, outlining new changes to the landscape and that they subsequently placed on display in the lobby of the lodge for homeowners to view. Cy indicated that this request could be readily handled because TKD was making displays available to the Committee.
Transcript
ICE CREAM 5PET FIRST AID 8PHOTOCORNER 9FINANCE 10ADVERTISERS 12ADVERTISING 13DRESSES 154TH OF JULY16FIREWORKS 20RATTLESNAKE 21FLAG 24REFRIGE_RAG 28CALENDAR 29
K. Hovnanian's Four Seasonsat Palm Springs Community
Association3800 Four Seasons Boulevard
Palm Springs CA 922627603233008
Activities Director'sReport
Cindy announced that therewould not be an open house thisyear, but she requested andreceived the Board’s permissionto provide flu shots on October29th, from 10 am to 1 pm as inpast years.Cindy further gave a synopsis ofthe events to come this yearamong them an ice creamsundae social planned forSaturday June 18, a fashionshow in November and a holidayparty in December.
Common AreaLandscape
Committee Reportby Cy Hegerich
There was a discussion of amistake made by Desert Waterand the meter that they havebeen reading in error for the pastseveral years. Apparently theerror resulted in the HOA being
charged for only 10% of thewater we were actually using.They will not be back chargingus, but warned we could expectto receive much larger bills in thefuture. It was pointed out thatseveral steps taken by theCommittee to lessen our waterusage (removal of turf and plantsand addition of rock, installationof a device to turn off waterduring rains, etc..) will turn out tobe very fortuitous for us in light ofthis new information.They were also asking for fundsfor “Year 2” of our 5 year masterplan to be funded in 2012. Thiswas referred to the FinanceCommittee. Diana also askedthat displays be made availableat Board meetings, outlining newchanges to the landscape andthat they subsequently placed ondisplay in the lobby of the lodgefor homeowners to view. Cyindicated that this request couldbe readily handled because TKDwas making displays available tothe Committee.
26 May 1:00 PM28 July 1:00 PM22 Sept 1:00 PM1 Dec 1:00 PM19 Jan 1:00 PM
Community AccessControl Committee
Reportby Dick Jewell
The survey showed that therewas a small majority in favor ofthe installation of cameras. TheBoard approved moving forwardwith the camera proposal. TheCommittee will research furtheras to the actual purchase andplacement of the cameras. Dicksaid that he expected that itwould be brought in at or belowthe cost that was represented inthe survey.The other items were notsupported by the homeownersand subsequently not by theBoard.
Ad Hoc DataIntegrity Committee
Reportby Dick Jewell
The Committee is movingforward with identifyingdocuments, their locations andmedia for storage of data thatneeds to be retained for theHOA.
EmergencyPreparedness
Committee ReportThe Board approved the requestsfrom the Committee to providekeys to the East Gatehousewhere the emergency suppliesare stored and to maintain thetemperature in the Gatehouse ata temperature no higher than 90degrees, to promote longer shelflife of supplies stored there.A request for $1,000 for theupcoming 2012 budget wasreferred to the FinanceCommittee.
Facilities CommitteeReport
by Chuck Bustos
A request was approved by theBoard to install an overlay on oneof the shuffleboard courts at acost of $1200.A request was made to replacesome of the HOA benchesbecause the slats in the benchescurrently owned by the HOA arebreaking down. Severalquestions were presented andthe matter will be taken back tothe Committee and presented atthe July Board meeting.
A request was made for theupcoming 2012 budget and wasreferred to the FinanceCommittee.
Finance CommitteeReport
by Bill Roberts
The Board approved therecommendation of theCommittee to invest in two$50,000 Comerica Money Marketaccounts one maturing in twoand the other in three years.
NewsletterCommittee Report
A new format was approved bythe Board.A request for classified ad sectionwas referred back to thecommittee for presentation at theJuly Board meeting.
Rules andRegulations
Committee Reportby Robyn Maceri
A clarification memo wasprovided to the Staff regardingitems that can be placed on thebulletin board in the Lodge.
The Board approved referring aspecial ballot measure regardingreducing the super majority in theCC&R’s to a simple majority toEGH (HOA attorneys) forpreparation.The Board approved theCommittee’s request for fundingrelated to the adoption to therevised governing documents.
Social CommitteeReport
by Robert Saenz
They are expecting to presentvarious events later this yearincluding:4th of July Luncheon andEntertainmentOctober 16th International PotLuckTBD Cabaret ShowDecember Holiday PartyNew Year’s Eve Dinner/Dance
CommitteeAppointments
The Board appointed themembers to the Ad HocFACILITIES/ACCESS/LANDSCAPING ASSESSMENTCOMMITTEE: Craig Silver, TonyEllerd, Dick Jewell, Brian
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Boeckman, Pat Ellerd, andChase Berke. Board Liaisonsare Diana Grace and JamesFogarty.
CommitteeResignations
The Board would like to extendits thanks and appreciation toArline Steiner and DavidGrinnell who have resignedfrom the Newsletter Committee.
Management Reportby Nancy Johnson
Nancy has been aggressivelytrying to deal with the City ofPalm Springs and the bankwho owns the property directlyadjacent to the HOA trail inregards to the overhangingtamarisk trees, weeds andtrash. The bank talked to avendor who offered to performthe necessary tasks for a fee of$4500. They offered to pay$1500 as a “good neighbor”.The Board said that this wasnot satisfactory and directedNancy to continue to pursuethe matter.Repairs were made to theswamp cooler at the lodge.Minor repairs were approved
for the cabanas.The building maintenancereports were presented to theBoard.Due to an increasing number ofcomplaints regardingnonresident usage of thefitness center, effective June15th the rear door to the lodgewill be an “exit only” door.
Old BusinessThe Board will be suing K.Hovnanian in small claims courtto get $5,000 related to theremoval of the retaining wallthey removed without Boardapproval.Minor changes were made tothe Exhibit “D” form (RulesViolation Report) to provide formore information in pursuingcomplaints.The proposed rule changeregarding open house signswas approved by the Board.Homeowner support on thisissue was nearly 2 to 1 in favorof the rule change.
New BusinessThe Bistro will be closed fromAugust 8 thru August 24 and
will reopen on August 25.
Euclid Management has a newwebsite available to thehomeowners. Variouspossibilities are beingexplored as possibleadvantages to thehomeowners. Currently, yourprofile, account balance andalerts will be accessible toyou. More features will beadded and staff will beworking on a way to get moreinformation out to you on thisnew website. The website iswww.euclidmanagement.com.Landscape Maintenance wasdiscussed. Nancy will becontacting KLS to exploresolutions to trash and weedabatement issues.
ProposalsBids were received forreplacement of the awnings atthe gatehouses. The Boardapproved a bid in the amount of$870.There was discussion onrepair/replacement of theaccess system at the gates dueto the existing systemtechnology being 15 years oldand replacement parts not
Just a reminder, we have codes available at The Lodge office foryour personal home vendors (i.e. gardeners, pool people,housekeepers, etc.) Please come in and get a code for your home. Itis good Monday through Saturday, 7:00 am to 5:00 pm.
New Sunday Hoursat
The Bistro at TheLodge
Join Chef Afan and hisfamily starting at 8:00 amon Sundays for an earlierbreakfast with laterbreakfast and lunchavailable till 2:00 pm.Come down for aluscious meal and goodconversation.
And don’t forget to askfor his “Lite Menu” for ourwarm spring and summerdays.
being readily available. It wasrepresented that somereplacement parts could takeup to 60 days to replace, wouldbe costly and the gates wouldhave to remain open duringthat time. CACC will beexploring various systems andwill provide a recommendationto the Board.Painting bids were received forall rod iron, fencing, street polelights, fixtures, and gates, MCBuilder Corp was approved todo the work. $34,243Concrete repairs to the Eastpool area were approved in the
amount of $7,747 fromBoettcher ConcreteConstruction.
Annoucement ofNext Meeting
The next Board meeting will beon July 28, 2011, at 1:00 p.m.in the Lodge Ballroom.Come on down and see yourBoard in action and keep upwith what’s happening in the‘hood.
Bill RobertsChairpersonJim WettonVice ChairpersonRick HobkirkSecretaryJoan LopemanEdward LopatinRoger BallBoard Liaison
The Newsletter CommitteeMeeting is looking forvolunteers to assist inpublishing our HOA newsletter.The time is minimal since wepublish only once a month. Weencourage anyone who isinterested to step forward. It's
The Bistro will be putting out a greatspread of ice cream and toppings tomake sundaes on Saturday, June 18,2011. Our hot weather will be keeping uswarm and this is a great way to start thesummer. Meet your friends at The Lodgeat 2:00 pm and have some camaraderiewith your neighbors, new and old.This is an Activities Director event socome and enjoy yourself at this freeaffair.
FACILITIESCraig SilverChairpersonChuck BustosVice ChairpersonTony EllerdSecretaryMark T. DolanTom AlexanderJames FogartyBoard Liaison
Alternatives For Seniors is a print and online directory thatspecifically caters to the senior housing and senior care concernsof senior citizens and their families. Gain access to informationfrom thousands of nationwide health and care facilities, includingindependent living, assisted living, nursing care, and more, withoutever leaving your computer. (more information can be found at:http://www.alternativesforseniors.com
Just a reminder that on ourwindy days, it is best to wait untilmorning to put out your trashcontainers. Make sure to useheavyduty bags or use trashcontainers with locking lids. Ifyou spray your bags withammonia, it will deter the birdsand animals from getting intothe trash and spreading itaround, along with the wind.Let’s try to keep our communityclean by making sure your trashis well contained on trash days.As an option, don't put yourbags at the curb at all! For a fewextra bucks per quarter, thetrash collection folks will walk amaximum of 50 feet up to yourhouse and get the cans andbags that you have safely,securely and cleverly sheltered
Trash blowing in the Wind
from the wind. Call PS Disposalat 7603271351 Ext. 313.For more information go towww.palmspringsdisposal.comThank you for your cooperation.
4 Paws K9 Club is sponsoringa pet first aid class. The classis taught by certified instructorsthrough Animal Samaritans inThousand Palms. All aspects ofpet first aid including CPR willbe covered. The four hour classis being offered in the Lodge onThursday, June 30 from 9:00am until 1:00 pm. The cost is$25.00. Books will be availablefor use during the class andmay be purchased for anadditional cost if you choose.The class is limited to 16people. If more residents areinterested we will scheduleanother class.
Make checks payable to:Animal Samaritans
Please contact Judy Crotts tosign up or for more information:
The Cinco deMayo celebrationon the cinco demayo was a festive celebration. Also the EPP meeting provided uswith lots of useful information.Come see the photos at our Photo website. Click on the imagebelow.
If ever you have any pictures you would like to sharewith us, send them to the Photo Editor.
(This article is basically arepeat of the April Focusarticle, but since it did not makeall editions it is being repeatedbecause of it’s importantinformation. Financialinformation is updated to April30).The finance committee nowhas 5 members with theaddition of Ed Lopatin and JoanLopeman. The Committee(and the HOA) are very luckythat these financially talentedindividuals are giving their timeto help provide guidance to theBoard.The HOA reserve fund as of04/30/11 is 80.9% fundedbased on the 2011 ReserveStudy adjusted to a 4/30/11basis. $171,148 in moneymarket funds to cover current
expenses, and$947,000 placed inFDIC insured CD’s for
future expenses.The average yield on thoseCD’s has fallen to 1.22%. Thisis short of the yield for the yearfrom the 2011 Reserve studyissued last August predicting2.0%. The Finance Committeerecommends even with lowyields that the reserve fundsshould be keep in FDIC insuredCD’s as the most secureinvestment that we can make.This “great recession” hascertainly changed theinvestment outlook low yieldsare the new norm.To help us understand thesituation, Chris Van Rutten,Senior Vice President ofComerica, spoke at our March15, 2011 meeting. Comericamanages the the HOA’sinvestments along with about750 other HOA’s andinstitutions in SouthernCalifornia. Basically Mr. VanRutten did not have good newsfor the short term. The U.S.Federal Reserve Bank is doingall it can to keep borrowingcosts low to aid an economicrecovery. With his perspectivesin the industry, he thinks it maybe 2 to 3 years before we maysee significant increases in CDrates. The world is a volatileplace, however, and uprisingsin the middle east and
earthquakes in Japan areexamples of things that canchange markets suddenly. Butfor now, Mr. Van Ruttensuggests that we keep our CDladder in the 2 to 3 year range.Then if rates improve we canexpand it to a more normal 5year range. ( A “CD ladder” is aterm used to describe spacingCD’s to mature at regularintervals over a period of time.This keeps funds alwaysshortly available foremergencies as well asachieving an average yield forthe period). The FinanceCommittee will keep this inmind in its recommendations tothe Board for CD’s that arematuring and reinvestmentneeds to be considered.
* * * * * * * * *
FINANCE COMMITTEE NEWS
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Our Newest ResidentGuide Dog in Training
by Carl Blue
Lorrie is a threemonth old YellowLabrador Retriever puppy who has cometo me by way of the Guide Dogs of theDeserts' puppy raisers program. Lorriewill stay with me until she is 16 to 18months old when she will transition to fulltime Guide Dog Training at the GuideDogs of the Desert Facility across thevalley near Whitewater. The actualguide dog training is approximately 6months at the end of which she would bepaired up with a blind client.You will see a lot of Lorrie and me as myjob is to give her basic obediencetraining and to expose her to as manysocial experiences as possible. Onething that I need to ask is that when
Lorrie is wearing her blue 'Puppy inTraining' vest that you not call her byname or try to pet her as she will be in"working" mode. When she's notwearing the vest, love and affection aregreatly accepted and given. The Lodgehas already proven to be a great placefor her to start meeting people andlearning acceptable behavior. This is myfirst puppy so it's already been quite a(sleepless) journey for me as well as her.Please feel free to ask me if you havequestions about the puppy raisingprogram or about Guide Dogs of theDesert. Also on the web:http://www.guidedogsofthedesert.com/
Place your advertisement in our newsletterquickly and easily. Go to our website athttp://www.palmspringsfocus.net/Advertising.htmYou can pay online with your own PayPal accountor pay by check.
Full details at the Palm Springs Focus Newsletterwebsite.
The Four Seasons “4 A Cause”sewing group has been workinghard on our first project. LittleDresses for Africa is a charitythat distributes dresses throughorphanages, churches andschools in Africa, CentralAmerica, Mexico, Haiti, as wellas right here in the UnitedStates.We will be shipping out our firstgroup of 34 dresses the lastweek in May. A big thanks tothose who have contributed tothis effort: Trish Alpert, JudyCrotts, Joan Dawson, andNancy DuMey.Even if you don’t sew you couldhelp with our charities. We will
be making child size afghansand nosew blankets for ProjectLinus. Any donations of sewingsupplies or material (100%cotton) would be very muchappreciated. A big thanks to Caland Louise Rahman for thedonation of a sewing machinefor our use. We are alsolooking for people who wouldbe willing to mail projects thatneed to be sent out of the area.Thanks again to all ourwonderful sewers.4 A Cause meets on the 1stand 3rd Wednesday at 10:00.Please stop by and see whatwe’re up to!!
donate my organs, the hospitalstaff won't work as hard to savemy life.Fact: When you go to thehospital for treatment, doctorsfocus on saving your life — notsomebody else's. You'll beseen by a doctor whosespecialty most closely matchesyour particular emergency. Thedoctor in charge of your carehas nothing to do withtransplantation.Myth: Maybe I won't really bedead when they sign my deathcertificate.Fact: Although it's a populartopic in the tabloids, in reality,people don't start to wiggletheir toes after they're declareddead. In fact, people who haveagreed to organ donation aregiven more tests (at no chargeto their families) to determinethat they're truly dead than arethose who haven't agreed toorgan donation.
Enough people to populate asmall city — over 100,000 —are waiting for an organdonation in the United States.Unfortunately, thousands neverget the call saying that asuitable donor organ — and asecond chance at life — hasbeen found.It can be hard to think aboutwhat's going to happen to yourbody after you die, let alonedonating your organs andtissue. But being an organdonor is a generous andworthwhile decision that can bea lifesaver.Understanding organ donationcan make you feel better aboutyour choice. If you've delayedyour decision to be a donorbecause of possibly inaccurateinformation, here are answersto some common organ
donation myths andconcerns.Myth: If I agree to
UNSURE ABOUT DONATING ORGANS FOR TRANSPLANT? DON'T LETMISINFORMATION KEEP YOU FROM SAVING LIVES.
By Mayo Clinic staff
ORGAN DONATION: DON'T LET THESE MYTHS CONFUSE YOU
Myth: Organ donation isagainst my religion.Fact: Organ donation isconsistent with the beliefs ofmost religions. This includesCatholicism, Protestantism,Islam and most branches ofJudaism. If you're unsure of oruncomfortable with your faith'sposition on donation, ask amember of your clergy. Anotheroption is to check the federalWeb site OrganDonor.gov,which provides religious viewson organ donation andtransplantation bydenomination.Myth: I'm under age 18. I'm tooyoung to make this decision.Fact: That's true, in a legalsense. But your parents canauthorize this decision. You canexpress to your parents yourwish to donate, and yourparents can give their consentknowing that it's what you
wanted. Children, too, are inneed of organ transplants, andthey usually need organssmaller than those an adult canprovide.Myth: An opencasket funeralisn't an option for people whohave donated organs ortissues.Fact: Organ and tissuedonation doesn't interfere withhaving an opencasket funeral.The donor's body is clothed forburial, so there are no visiblesigns of organ or tissuedonation. For bone donation, arod is inserted where bone isremoved. With skin donation, avery thin layer of skin similar toa sunburn peel is taken fromthe donor's back. Because thedonor is clothed and lying onhis or her back in the casket,no one can see any difference.Myth: I'm too old to donate.Nobody would want my organs.Fact: There's no defined cutoffage for donating organs.Organs have been successfullytransplanted from donors intheir 70s and 80s. The decisionto use your organs is based onstrict medical criteria, not age.Don't disqualify yourselfprematurely. Let the doctorsdecide at your time of death
whether your organs andtissues are suitable fortransplantation.Myth: I'm not in the best ofhealth. Nobody would want myorgans or tissues.Fact: Very few medicalconditions automaticallydisqualify you from donatingorgans. The decision to use anorgan is based on strict medicalcriteria. It may turn out thatcertain organs are not suitablefor transplantation, but otherorgans and tissues may befine. Don't disqualify yourselfprematurely. Only medicalprofessionals at the time ofyour death can determinewhether your organs aresuitable for transplantation.Myth: I'd like to donate one ofmy kidneys now, but I wouldn'tbe allowed to do that unlessone of my family members is inneed.Fact: While that used to be thecase, it isn't any longer.Whether it's a distant familymember, friend or completestranger you want to help, youcan donate a kidney throughcertain transplant centers. Ifyou decide to become a livingdonor, you will undergoextensive questioning to ensure
that you are aware of the risksand that your decision todonate isn't based on financialgain. You will also undergotesting to determine if yourkidneys are in good shape andwhether you can live a healthylife with just one kidney.Myth: Rich and famous peoplego to the top of the list whenthey need a donor organ.Fact: The rich and famousaren't given priority when itcomes to allocating organs. Itmay seem that way because ofthe amount of publicitygenerated when celebritiesreceive a transplant, but theyare treated no differently fromanyone else. In fact, the UnitedNetwork for Organ Sharing(UNOS), the organizationresponsible for maintaining thenational organ transplantnetwork, subjects all celebritytransplants to an internal auditto make sure the organallocation was appropriate.Myth: My family will be chargedif I donate my organs.Fact: The organ donor's familyis never charged for donating.The family is charged for thecost of all final efforts to saveyour life, and those costs aresometimes misinterpreted as
ORGAN DONATION: DON'T LET THESE MYTHS CONFUSE YOU(con'd)
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costs related to organ donation.Costs for organ removal go tothe transplant recipient.
Why you shouldconsider organ donationNow that you have the facts,you can see that being anorgan donor can make a bigdifference, and not just to oneperson. By donating yourorgans after you die, you cansave or improve as many as 50lives. And many families saythat knowing their loved onehelped save other lives helpedthem cope with their loss.It's especially important toconsider becoming an organdonor if you belong to an ethnicminority. Minorities includingAfricanAmericans, Asians andPacific Islanders, NativeAmericans, and Hispanics aremore likely than whites to havecertain chronic conditions thataffect the kidney, heart, lung,pancreas and liver. Certainblood types are more prevalentin ethnic minority populations.Because matching blood typeis necessary for transplants,the need for minority donororgans is especially high.
donor registry. The best way toensure that your wishes arecarried out is to put them inwriting. Include your wishes inyour living will, as well as onyour driver's license. If youhave no next of kin or youdoubt your family will agree todonate your organs, you canassign durable power ofattorney to someone who youknow will abide by your wishes.A lawyer can help you preparethis document.
* * * * * * * * *
How to donateBecoming an organ donor iseasy. You can indicate that youwant to be a donor in thefollowing ways:Register with your state's donorregistry. Most states haveregistries. Check the list atOrganDonor.gov.Designate your choice on yourdriver's license. Do this whenyou obtain or renew yourlicense.Sign and carry a donor card.Cards are available fromOrganDonor.gov.It's also important to tell yourfamily that you want to be adonor. Hospitals seek consentfrom the next of kin beforeremoving organs, although thisis usually not required if you'reregistered with your state's
ORGAN DONATION: DON'T LET THESE MYTHS CONFUSE YOU(con'd)
Living in rattlesnake countrycan mean the occasional, oreven more frequent, visits fromrattlesnakes in your ownbackyard. Guarding against thisis not always easy but there areboth actions and precautionsthat you can take. Many ofthese steps will also keep outother snakes, although beaware that some snakes aregood to keep around if youdon't mind them, as they deterrattlesnakes.
Steps1 Add a low level rattlesnakeproof fence around thebackyard. While this is not acheap option, it does work andcan reassure you that aparticular zone of your home issafe from rattlesnakes. In fact,you don't need to even wall offthe whole backyard you canselect an area for the childrento play in, for pets to frolic inand for entertainment purposesand only fence off that part.This becomes the "safetyzone". Just make sure thesespecifications are followed inorder for the fence to beeffective:• Use mesh that is not wider
than a quarter of aninch in diameter or use
solid material. Any untexturedmaterial is best becausesnakes cannot climb smoothsurfaces as they cannot get agrip.• Make the fence to a minimumheight of three feet.• Take care with corners, so asnot to create a "bellyhold"(snake for "toehold") on thefence.• Bury the fence to a minimumof 12 inches under the ground.• Be careful with any gates. Ifyou don't join the fence to thewalls of your house, it isimportant to ensure that anygate has no gaps on the sides
and sits flush with the ground. Itcan help to place a concreteslab directly under the gategoing into the ground as adeterrent this must sit flushwith the base of the gate. Thisis a time when precisionbuilding is very important.• Maintain the fence all gaps,holes and dirt collapses mustbe dealt with quickly to preventpossible entrypoints fromweakening the fence.2 Remove shrubs andoverhanging vegetation fromthe perimeter of the fence. Donot lean anything against thefence that a rattlesnake mightbe able to use as leverage tocrawl over.
Rattlesnakes are California's only venomous serpents.
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3 Check under and aroundthe house. Look for gaps, areasthat a rattlesnake can accessunderneath the house and fill,plug or board off these areas.Under the house is an idealenvironment for a snake, sotake care to discourage this.Check the walls, thefoundations, steps, etc.4 Keep wood piles andany other materials stored inyour backyard away from thehome. If you already havepiles, be careful when removingthem.5 Keep the rodents undercontrol. Don't provide a tastyfood source. Get rid of mice,rats and other rodents feastingabout your home and you willremove a major source ofrattlesnake attractant. This isespecially important aroundareas where animal food isstored on farms.6 Keep other food sourcesout of the reach of snakes. Thismeans keeping pet food insideor covered. Garbage cansshould be securely covered atall times.7 Eliminate rattlesnake
homes and nestingsites. Potential homesfor rattlesnakes should
be removed from the areaaround your home. Thisincludes such things as woodpiles, rock piles, garbage piles,long grass, brush, undergrowth,piles of building materials,animal burrows, etc. Thinkabout the places that would becozy for a snake to move intoand remove them. But becareful when you remove them!There may already be arattlesnake in residence.8 Keep lawns and fieldsaround the house mowed. Ashort lawn or field is not a greatplace to hide and makes it veryeasy for you to spot arattlesnake taking a shortcut.Be careful, however, not toprovide sheltering places suchas piles of timber or rocks thatcreate safety stations forsnakes crossing short grass, oryou will not succeed indiscouraging them.9 Know your snakes!Some snakes can be good tohave around as they deterrattlesnakes from hangingabout through naturalcompetition. Of course, thisdepends on your own level ofsqueamishness about havingany snakes at all in yourbackyard! If you don't mind thesnakes, consider encouraging:
10 Remain calm. If you dodiscover a rattlesnake in yourbackyard, keep calm. Sendchildren, pets and scaredadults indoors immediately.Wait for the snake to leave. Callfor professional assistance ifyou are concerned that therattlesnake may be settling inbut if you have made your yardas unfavorable to a snake aspossible, the snake will leave ifgiven the chance. Mostrattlesnakes will only strike ifacting in selfdefense. If youremain out of the way, there willbe no strikes.
Gopher snakes (they get quite irritatedwith encroaching snakes on their
Kingsnakes (they kill and eat rattlesnakes)(Color may vary.)
Tips• When weighing the costs ofbuilding a rattlesnake prooffence, also consider that thefence will have other benefits,such as keeping in pets andchildren and keeping out othersnakes, and garden foragingpests such as rabbits,javelinas, etc. A fence can alsomake your home look great andjust think how much moretempting barbecues at yourhome become when yourfriends know that you have therattlesnake proof backyard!• Keep an eye on pets. Dogsare naturally curious. Attachthem to a leash or provide themwith a fencedoff run if youryard contains rattlesnakes.Dogs can be put through"rattlesnake avoidanceclasses".
• Despite the belief that reptilesneed a really hot environment,snakes are not able to surviveon hot, bare surfaces for anylength of time and will avoidthem. Hence, creating shortgrass and cemented, tiled orother hot surfaces around yourhouse will help to discouragesnakes.• Many of these steps can beapplied to deterring venomoussnakes in other parts of theworld, although naturally youwill need to substitute thenatural predators of snakeswith ones local to your regionand there may be differentfence size and style needs.
Warnings• Use of Naphthalene flakes ormothballs is not effective. Itdoesn't ward off snakes. Andthese products are not good foryour health either, so don'twaste time on them.• Killing a snake does notprevent other snakes fromcoming to the backyard;prevention is a better cure.
The Fourth of July wastraditionally celebrated asAmerica's birthday, but the ideaof an annual day specificallycelebrating the Flag is believedto have first originated in 1885.BJ Cigrand, a schoolteacher,arranged for the pupils in theFredonia, Wisconsin PublicSchool, District 6, to observeJune 14 (the 108th anniversaryof the official adoption of TheStars and Stripes) as 'FlagBirthday'. In numerousmagazines and newspaperarticles and public addressesover the following years,Cigrand continued toenthusiastically advocate theobservance of June 14 as 'FlagBirthday', or 'Flag Day'.On June 14, 1889, GeorgeBalch, a kindergarten teacherin New York City, plannedappropriate ceremonies for thechildren of his school, and hisidea of observing Flag Day waslater adopted by the StateBoard of Education of NewYork. On June 14, 1891, theBetsy Ross House inPhiladelphia held a Flag Daycelebration, and on June 14 ofthe following year, the NewYork Society of the Sons of theRevolution, celebrated FlagDay.Following the suggestion of
Colonel J. Granville Leach (atthe time historian of thePennsylvania Society of theSons of the Revolution), thePennsylvania Society ofColonial Dames of America onApril 25, 1893 adopted aresolution requesting the mayorof Philadelphia and all others inauthority and all private citizensto display the Flag on June14th. Leach went on torecommend that thereafter theday be known as 'Flag Day',and on that day, school childrenbe assembled for appropriateexercises, with each child beinggiven a small Flag.Two weeks later on May 8th,the Board of Managers of thePennsylvania Society of Sonsof the Revolution unanimouslyendorsed the action of thePennsylvania Society of
Colonial Dames. As a result ofthe resolution, Dr. EdwardBrooks, then Superintendent ofPublic Schools of Philadelphia,directed that Flag Dayexercises be held on June 14,1893 in Independence Square.School children wereassembled, each carrying asmall Flag, and patriotic songswere sung and addressesdelivered.In 1894, the governor of NewYork directed that on June 14the Flag be displayed on allpublic buildings. With BJCigrand and Leroy Van Horn asthe moving spirits, the Illinoisorganization, known as theAmerican Flag DayAssociation, was organized forthe purpose of promoting theholding of Flag Day exercises.On June 14th, 1894, under the
THE HISTORY OF FLAG DAY
US Flag 1885 38 Stars
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delivered a 1914Flag Dayaddress in whichhe repeatedwords he saidthe flag hadspoken to himthat morning: "Iam what youmake me;
nothing more. I swing beforeyour eyes as a bright gleam ofcolor, a symbol of yourself."Inspired by these threedecades of state and localcelebrations, Flag Day theanniversary of the FlagResolution of 1777 wasofficially established by theProclamation of PresidentWoodrow Wilson on May 30th,
auspices of this association,the first general public schoolchildren's celebration of FlagDay in Chicago was held inDouglas, Garfield, Humboldt,Lincoln, and Washington Parks,with more than 300,000children participating.Adults, too, participated inpatriotic programs. Franklin K.Lane, Secretary of the Interior,
US Flag1916
48 stars
US Flag 1894 44 Stars
THE HISTORY OF FLAG DAY1916. While Flag Day wascelebrated in variouscommunities for years afterWilson's proclamation, it wasnot until August 3rd, 1949, thatPresident Truman signed anAct of Congress designatingJune 14th of each year asNational Flag Day.
![MPB Montage Life-LaborDay[1] · *2:00 pm Tie Dye (Paddle House) *2:00 pm – 4:00 pm Porching (Carolina Room) *5:00 pm – 5:30 pm Culinary Heirlooms (Inn Fire Pits) 6:00 pm – 9:00](https://static.documents.pub/doc/80x56/5f62caf443c65f06da1f8933/mpb-montage-life-laborday1-200-pm-tie-dye-paddle-house-200-pm-a-400-pm.jpg)
