BOD President Ryan Barnes – Thanks to Everyone that Attended the January 21, 2022 HOA Annual Meeting.
On behalf the of the BOD Ryan Barnes, President wishes to thank everyone that took time out of their day to attend the annual HOA meeting. There were 37 attendees and it was one of the best attended meetings with many new neighbors attending for the first time and many long time members of the neighborhood attending as well.
Also, thanks to everyone’s patience as the room set up was changed. Judy Hamner had arranged the meeting room like she had done in past years with the large middle part of the upstairs area to be set up like past years and we found out when we arrived the corner meeting enclosed room was set up instead. Then with the larger than expected turnout we had to do some last minute arranging of the chairs and move to a bigger space. Thanks to those that volunteered to assist with this last minute change set up.
Ryan would like to also thank the 2021 board members for dedicating their personal time for those that served on the board this past year including Doug Moore (Vice-President), Kathy Barnes (Secretary), Heather Jackson (Treasurer) and Kevin Cavanaugh (Member at Large).
Also, Ryan would like to thank Heather Jackson for her one year of service as the Treasurer and she left the board as she has a busy family life and other commitments that are keeping her very busy. Also, a BIG THANKS to Kevin Cavanaugh for continuing to serve on the board after his first year which was one of the busiest ones too for involvement and the long-time board members look forward to his commitment for another year.
The board members that were elected for the 2022 year are as follows with their positions listed below:
- Ryan Barnes President
- Doug Moore Vice-President
- Shamika Brooks Treasurer
- Kathy Barnes Secretary
- Kevin Cavanaugh Member at Large
A special welcome to the BOD for the 2022 year is Shamika Brooks who lives on Castlerock Drive who moved into the neighborhood with her husband Marcus and family during this past June 2021. She works in the health career field and is eager to serve in her role working with the board in decision making for the best interest of the neighborhood. A huge thank you to have Shamika show interest in running for the board after just living here for 6 months.
Also, thanks to Judy Hamner our Property Manager for her leadership in attending the meeting, counting the votes, and mailing all the annual packets to homeowners, plus, her on going never ending job in her role as our Association Manager.
For those that are not aware of it there are countless things that she does that no one would know about on a weekly basis. The ongoing emails that are sent to her from the board and the general homeowners never stop. The importance of all of this, is someone has to track and record all this information; and while there can be a few slow weeks, it is very normal for weekly communication and never ending work. There are some days when there are multiple interactions, so please be patient with her at times like this when she is working hard to juggle her duties for us and with other property management HOA’s too that she serves. We are incredibly thankful to have her as our BOD Manager working for us.
Also, a thank you to the two volunteer neighbors who raised their hands at the meeting to share with Judy the responsibility of counting the votes for the officer positions and the annual audit. Kudos to Beth Morris and Jeanne Halsey for their assistance. Besides the ballot counting and approval of the nominees for 2022, the annual audit did not pass enough percentage of votes by members voting or submitting proxies as required by our governing rules, so there will be an audit of our 2021 financial records like past years.
February Weather:
The winter months continue to be wet, cold, and some days the sun makes a surprise appearance. With this comes some beautiful sunrises and amazing sunsets at the end of the day. The weather has even brought out the golfers at Loomis Trail as well on the nicest of days and even some foggy rainy days too.
Walkers continue to do their best to not let the weather bother them walking with umbrellas and heavy coats; plus the ever so dedicated bike riders that are seen enjoying their daily rides too. Oh, and I won’t forget the dogs that need their walks too. These outdoor activities make Loomis Trail a very desirable neighborhood to live in.
Safety Concerns Continued:
Also, please remember as discussed in the Annual BOD meeting there are plans for adding additional 15mph Speed Signs on Castlerock Drive and Ashbury Court to ensure drivers are putting safety first in our neighborhood when driving. Please continue to remind all family members that drive in your household who might not directly read this newsletter to be informed as well. Please keep in mind that we have some neighbors that walk very early in the am or in the pm hours when it is dark after they get off work and to be extra cautious about realizing walkers are out and about through the neighborhood even during dark times.
For those that were not at the HOA Annual Meeting another reminder item is to NOT PARK ANYWHERE on the GRASS BOULEVARDS as the upkeep is tedious, time consuming, and costly to the HOA. Hopefully, when signage is added through the neighborhood in coming months this will help. Please inform your vendors as part of the communication when hiring them to do jobs at your home too and planning gatherings at your home. Also, homeowners not obeying this rule will be contacted by Judy Hamner also if it is reported to the board. Remember, any damage to the boulevards is a costly expenditure of time by WRS to do as an added expense. In the best interest of the neighborhood, please everyone do your part to make sure that everyone parks in the paved pull outs or in your personal driveways.
Also, the east gate at night time can be really dark so new lighting is being looked at in 2022 to make it safer for leaving and entering the neighborhood. Doug Moore will also talk to the County about how dark it is from Portal Way as you turn onto Loomis Trail to inquire if any lighting can be added on this strip of roadway.
Lastly, at the HOA meeting the Intruder incident was discussed. As always lock all doors to your homes and vehicles. Do not leave anything visible in any parked cars as it makes a prowler more apt to be interested to burglarize your vehicle. We want our neighborhood to be safe in all capacities of situations. It is important too for everyone to look out for your surroundings. It is up to each homeowner to personally be responsible for their own home. The best individual responsibility for security is to invest in a personal security system or cameras. As a neighborhood, we need to be vigilant in watching out for anything that looks suspicious and report these possible incidents to the Sheriff’s office. It is best to be on the safe side and report it than not. Thanks to everyone for keeping an eye out for any potential incidents.
Referrals for Service Vendors Provided By HOA Neighbors:
One of the many questions that comes from new homeowners are requests for vendors to do such jobs as handyman carpentry work, laying wood floors, repairs to appliances, and general household upkeep and such. In response to the January Newsletter, several homeowners sent replies of vendors that they have used for a variety of services which will give neighbors at least a list to keep handy should they need someone to do some work at their home. During the pandemic it has been extremely hard for builders and repair folks to come in a timely manner because many are booked out months ahead, so this is the time to start thinking about any potential possible jobs that need done around your home and plan now.
Please keep in mind the BOD does not endorse the businesses listed, however, we are listing them as resources from neighbors that have used them and speak highly of the services that they have provided. Everyone will have to make their best judgement by contacting them and discussing job details and move forward to hire them based on their own individual decisions.
List of Referrals and References from Jan Bonzon at 4380 Castlerock Drive:
Handy Person/Carpenter – Steve Martin:
He and his family recently moved to the area from Kansas (where he has built lots of homes) and moved here to be close to other family members in Bellingham. He is available to do handy work and small projects. His rates are reasonable and at this time he has good availability at the moment. He is highly skilled, quick, efficient, punctual, courteous, and a good communicator. He is vaccinated and masked too. His contact information is: [email protected] and his phone number is 785-845-2606.
Prismatic Cleaning Services, LLC – Window Washer, Roof Cleaner, Etc. –
Mathew:
Mathew owns his own solo company. He first got his experience in business working for his father’s landscape business. He is a master at washing windows, roofs, and other items too. He is very professional, kind, courteous, and so much more. He is a good communicator and has earned her full trust and endorsement. He is also vaccinated and masked too. His contact information is [email protected] and he can be reached at (360) 305-8430.
CIMA Construction:
Jan hired CIMA Construction to assess water damage and then to repair rotting exterior trim boards around the deck and her house. CIMA staff also painted her exterior house, cleaned, and resealed pine soffits, and also cleaned/sealed as well her aggregate concrete driveway and walk pathways. The company staff worked methodically over 10 days with crews of 2-3 cheerful employees. She shared she was especially impressed by their carpentry skills, the quality of the materials being used, their knowledge of the best materials to suggest and use, and then after some nudging, their attention to the detail. (Also, if it is helpful if anyone speaks Spanish, though not required, as the bilingual Foreman checks on his staff periodically). The contact information for this business is [email protected] and the phone number is (360) 306-8295.
Garden Design, Installation, Maintenance: Lisa Alderson of Grace Hill Landscaping through Home Advisors Referrals:
Jan shared that Lisa Alderson managed a retail nursery for many years and then the business closed. Because she loved her prior profession and she really knows her plants, she went into this gardening business. She graciously helped her to refresh her front and back gardens through thoughtful design, installation, and provided continued maintenance. She is hard working and communicates well. Her contact information is gracehillhome.com and her phone number is (360) 927-6812.
Tiling Work by Opulence Tile – by Jordan Snell:
Jordan is a solo tile installer/setter. He did a wonderful job tiling her fireplace. He made excellent decisions regarding the layout of the travertine tiles and even joined the sides with curved edges! He is one of the best in Whatcom County and she highly recommend him for tiling projects. SVC recommended him to her and it was a great recommendation for her needs.
Flooring Installation: Reed Anderson of Hardwoods NW
Reed is a solo flooring installer and was recommend to her by SVC. Reed worked quickly and as a solo business member and he charged her half of what other places would have charged. He is very experienced and professional. He laid flooring that she already owned and had. For purchasing questions individuals would have to chat to him about this. He was referred to her by SVC too which is Bellingham’s Design Center. Here there are flooring samples available and ordering can be done at this location. What is good to know is they have a really good management team, warranty, and supply chain too. His contact information is (360) 201-8192.
List of Referrals and References by Beth Morris of 4411 Castlerock Drive:
Beth was kind enough to share her information as they moved into their home May 2021 and they had a lot of things they needed to fix, do, and repair. She mentioned they had many crappy disappointments with vendors, but she wanted to share a few gems that stood out. Beth commented when sharing her list that she hopes this resource can be kept up and I plan to do so because many homeowners are always asking for information that is so varied for vendor referrals.
Landscaping by Mark Gill at North Coast Landscape Maintenance:
Mark is a young man and has an excellent work ethic and knowledge; combined with tools and equipment that make him a favorite with neighbors she she shared. He can be reached by calling or texting him at (360) 510-3743.
Gutters: Contact Merrill at All American Seamless Gutters:
If anyone needs his service for work that needs to be done he knows his profession and refused to let us spend unnecessary money. Also, he offers a discount March-May of 10% off. Contact him at ((360) 752-0151 or
(360) 961-3667.
Appliance Repair by Gentry’s Appliance Repair:
Three brothers actually answer the phone when you call! They were able to even diagnose the problems over the telephone, ordered a part, and came out four days after Thanksgiving to service my needs. Although it was the wrong part, the good news is they had what I needed on their truck. Contact them by phone at (360) 354-0995.
Knife Sharpening by Eskedee’s:
They have a grinder and will travel to your home. Beth had 13 knives to be sharpened and it took about 30 minutes. The cost was $5 -$6 per knife.
List of Referrals and References by Mary Luethe and Doug Moore of 4371 Castlerock Drive:
Northwest Poly Services – Johnny Huff Owner of Marysville, W. Company
Mary and Doug just had work done to lift their front porch up. The subsidence where the front door threshold/garage wall needed work by 3 inches. Johnny and Jay are a husband and wife team and owners of the company. They were a pleasure to work with. They are located in Marysville and were happy to drive to Blaine and give them an estimate. They were prompt with return calls, questions, and kept them updated regarding the timing of the job; plus, they were courteous and friendly. Both Mary and Doug were thrilled with the results. Also, they both suspect since their entire property was built on a bog/wetland, there may be others living in the neighborhood that have noticed similar issues with their porch, patio, driveways, etc. Their contact information to reach the owners is (425) 529-6777 and Johnny’s Cell Number is (425) 590-7060.
Referral and Reference by Anne Zimmerman and Ed Stretanski of 4455 Castlerock Drive:
Gilded Goat Construction – General Contractor by Jacob Kerlin
He did an outstanding job with wood floors for them and give him Kudos for the wonderful craftsmanship of the job well done. His phone number is (360) 296-6157.
More Referrals and References to Come in The March Newsletter:
Other Areas That Neighbors Have Asked for Referrals for are in the areas of:
- Computers
- Painting
- Car Repair
- Medical and Dental Referrals (Especially New Homeowners)
If anyone has referrals in these categories, please send and share the information. For many new neighbors that have moved here (from out of state especially) they are starting from scratch to know even where to look.
Valentine’s is February 14th:
Don’t forget your favorite Valentine and Loved Ones on This Day!
The next newsletter will be sent out during the first week of March. Please send your continued referrals for services and any photos to be used in upcoming newsletters to [email protected] no later than February 26th.
Have a good weekend!
Kathy Barnes
BOD Secretary and Newsletter Volunteer
[email protected]
(360) 305-5508
[Cover photo: Norma Crozier]