Annual Homeowners Meeting Overview

In case you missed the Annual Homeowners Meeting, here is a quick overview of the highlights:

• Only 68 homeowners attended the meeting, which is not a quorum, so no new Board members were elected.
• There will be a new sign, purchased by the golf course, being installed at the 172nd entrance advertising the course and clubhouse facilities.  Also expect to see a redesigned median across from the clubhouse thanks to the efforts of the Landscape Committee.
• The lawsuit is proceeding and there will be a probable November court date.
• The new Gleneagle website will be up and running soon, stay tuned for more information.
• There will be no increase in association dues this year!
• Regarding HB1309, the Board is responding to the study that was done with some revisions and will have another study done in the future.  There is some confusion as to what is required by the new law and we are required to have a study done and to disclose what our funding level is, but we are not required to be funded to a certain level.  We are currently funded at 16 percent, but this will change as changes are made to the study.

Again, these are just the highlights.  If you have questions, please comment on this post and someone will be able to answer.

Neighborhood Crime

In case you heard that there were a couple break-ins recently in our area, including one in our neighborhood, rest assured that the culprits have been arrested.  Here is a link to an article in the Everett Herald with the rest of the story:

http://heraldnet.com/article/20120327/NEWS01/703279921#Arlington-couple-suspects-in-burglaries%0A

Also, hypodermic needles have been found on two of our neighborhood playgrounds, so be aware if you frequent any of the playgrounds.

The point here is that it never hurts to take extra precautions, whether that means using an extra means of locking your doors at night or doing a quick check of the areas your kids are going to be playing in.  Let's be safe out there, Gleneagle.

Upcoming Easter Brunch

There will be an Easter Brunch held at the Gleneagle Family Restaurant on Sunday April 8th starting at 10:00 AM.

In addition to the restaurant's standard breakfast fare, you can expect to find these delicious foods:

• Fire Ball Ham
• Lemon Pepper Turkey
• Prime Rib
• Assorted salads and sides

You can call to make reservations, but reservations are not required.

Prices are as follows:

• Adults:      $19.99
• Seniors:    $16.99
• Children ages 6-12:     $14.99
• Children age 5 and under are FREE

If you have questions or to make a reservation, call (360) 474.9955.

Wild Animals in Gleneagle

In the last couple days there have been a number of coyote sightings around the development.

There were two coyotes on the 14th the other morning and they were looking for ducks and birds and they even came up on some yards. They were a pair and looked in good shape and were comfortable enough to be in the yards for some time.

Another community member/golfer recently saw a coyote over on the 15th hole (in the Hamptons: Abbey/Greywalls/Carlisle/Hunter Streets).

Here is one more report of coyotes spotted by the 14th and 15th holes, verbatim:

A few days back, we had coyotes howling and what you would call "snickering" loudly in the greenbelt behind our home at the end of Hunter Place. One at midnight and the next night at approximately 2:00 AM. Folks should keep close attention turned toward their cats and small dogs, even in their backyards. They usually hunt in packs of two or four and are very cunning. If you see one...two or three are generally close by. The one visible to you will usually be the one to drive the prey into the trap set by the others. They'll jump fences too. Last month, a small cougar was in the greenbelt and in the backyard of one of our next door neighbors. Just a reminder to all that we indeed live in a rural area and some of these critters get used to people and can become very brave. I send this email not to frighten anyone, but to have folks be alert.


If you live in any of these areas, please be aware that there could be coyotes about, especially if you have small pets or children.  It never hurts to be cautious.

Next Board Meeting

PLEASE BE ADVISED

Due to scheduling conflicts at the Arlington School District, the Annual Home Owners Meeting has been moved to Monday, March 26, at Pioneer Elementary. The meeting will start at 6:30 pm.

Please notify your friends and neighbors of this change. We look forward to seeing you at the meeting.

If you have the time and inclination, we need a few volunteers to help set up chairs before the meeting.

Berry Pruning from the Garden Club

Do you enjoy gardening or at least like plants? The Arlington Garden Club is a group of about one hundred enthusiastic men and women from Arlington and the surrounding areas who enjoy learning about gardening and sharing tips and tricks (both that work and don't work!).  The Garden Club gathers monthly on the second Monday at the Gleneagle Clubhouse for sharing, questions and learning from a speaker.  There are also quarterly workshops like the annual wreath-making class.

Since we're on the eve of gardening season, it's time to get your annual plants in order and raspberries are no exception.  Here is a link shared by the Garden Club on pruning raspberries:

http://www.finegardening.com/item/21066/video-how-to-prune-raspberies.

Daylight Savings and Smoke Detectors

As I'm sure you are aware, the time changes this weekend and we will "spring forward" one hour.  While you are going around your home changing clocks, this is a great time to test and put fresh batteries in your smoke detectors.  It would also be a good idea to review your household fire escape plan and check your fire extinguishers.

Neighborhood Watch: Mail Theft

We are currently in the middle of a string of mail thefts which is troubling because personal information in the hands of thieves can lead to some serious problems.  It is also troubling because we, the homeowners, are not taking steps to prevent this from happening.

Please, please, please do the following to protect yourself:

1. Get a locking mailbox.
2. Deposit outgoing mail in a locked box. There is a blue postal box on East Country Club Drive that you can use.
3. Call the police if you experience theft of any kind.

Yes, a locking mailbox is expensive.  And yes, it takes a little extra time to drive or walk to a locked outgoing mailbox.  BUT, is forgoing the extra expense and time worth having your money or identity stolen?

It would be great to live in a world where you could leave your mail unsecured, but unfortunately we don't and it is foolhardy to leave yourself unprotected.