Please read all about the latest happenings in Pondo….there has been a lot going on! Click here for the Newsletter:

Here’s a message from our new PPOA President:

Greetings,

            It is both a great and humbling honor to have been selected as your new PPOA President. I must first express the debt of gratitude our community owes to Mr. Kit Korf, and his lovely wife Betty, for their years of dedication and service to Ponderosa. We cannot thank them enough for all they have done for our community over many decades, and when you see them next please take the time to thank them in person.

            The weeks since my selection as your PPOA President in September have at times felt like the longest 10 years of my life, as we collectively awaited the outcome of the SQF Complex Fire. I would like to thank each and every one of you who shared your memories of Ponderosa, shared encouraging words and even a bit of humor on our PPOA Facebook page (“Ponderosa Community Only – PPOA”) during those long days and nights as the fire began to surround Ponderosa and the outlook did not look promising. I also want to point out that the #PondoStrong t-shirts were designed by our own Rebecca Corso during the fire, at a time when our streets might well have been all that was left of Ponderosa. Those shirts are now a testament to the spirit of Ponderosa, and are a show of our strength and resilience during our darkest time. 

As a community we survived a long, stressful, and traumatic experience together and we all have some healing to do. And while our homes were saved by the tireless hard work and dedication of hundreds of firefighters, their valiant battles during the fire were not all won, and we are all heartbroken for those who have lost their homes and for our beautiful forest, which will not look the same for many years to come. 

            We must continue to be vigilant about the risk of fire inside of Ponderosa, ensuring that our lots are maintained and debris-free. It is a duty we owe to each other. We do not want to have survived the SQF Complex Fire only to lose cabins as a result of our own negligence.

            I hope to see you all at our Thanksgiving Potluck, and be sure to look for the new format this year that was created to ensure we help the Lodge meet its CDC requirements. Be sure to sign up for a dish to bring, and keep in mind we will be serving take-away meals only.

We also have the Ponderosa Holiday Lights Competition coming up, and I hear the Lowrys and Hildreths are bragging that they are “going full Clark Griswold this year” so the gauntlet has been thrown down. We look forward to seeing what trophies Richard Thomas comes up with this year, as they are becoming quite the collector’s item on the mountain.

We have events in the works to properly thank our fire fighters and first responders, as well as an annual event to celebrate our firefighters. More information on those will be coming soon.

As so many newcomers to Ponderosa have said repeatedly, we came looking for a cabin, and what we found was new friends and an incredibly supportive community. My wife and I count ourselves incredibly blessed to be a part of Ponderosa, and we hope you feel the same way. 

Scott R. James II

PPOA President