Ponderosa Property Owner Association June 2024

Dear member of the PPOA,

With Memorial Day behind us, we are entering the summer season but also the fire season and hope for a summer without fire. There is still plenty of water as the melting of the show this year has been slow thanks to a relatively cold spring season but we know the risk of a big fire is always at our doors. The PPOA has been working with the Fire Brigade to encourage all owners to clean their land. We will provide 2 chipping days during which limb woods from your property placed on the side of the road, will be shredded (with chips spread on your property). Matt and Toro have kindly agreed to provide this service to the community with the financial support of the Fire Brigade and the PPOA. So, I encourage all of you to take advantage of this opportunity to protect your property and the community from fire. The dates will be announced very soon.

We will have our 4th of July event on Saturday July 6 at the PCSD. Tammi Stewart has kindly volunteered to organize the event. There will be a BBQ, an auction and games after the traditional parade that will leave from the parking lot near the mail room at 11.00 am. A flyer describing the event is included in this Newsletter.

The proposed merger between the fire brigade and the PPOA, which was approved by the PPOA in November, has now been approved by the Ponderosa Fire Brigade Board on May 7, 2024. We are thus moving ahead to complete paperwork to make this merger official and approved by the State and the IRS. The Fire Brigade has purchased new equipment including 2 new AED, one located on the Fire Truck at the PCSD garage and one kept outside at Frank Ohnesorgen’s residence. A training schedule for volunteers of the fire brigade is also included in this newsletter with the letter from our Fire Brigade Chief.

As of May 7, 2024, we have 98 members of the PPOA who paid their dues (many also adding a donation for the fire brigade or the PPOA…thank you ), this represents 75% of our members. I encourage those who did not contribute, to consider joining the association. If you have not received a notice, please let us know by emailing our treasurer Janet Gordon at redwillymt@msn.com , which will allow us to update our records.

We are also planning for our 2024 Friendsgiving/Thanksgiving party and are looking for owners with a cabin large enough to host 30-40 people to consider offering their cabin for this event. Last year, Cheri and Bill Benton kindly hosted us for a very warm and enjoyable potluck and get together.

After a slow start, our street sign project is taking off and we will replace 6 signs this summer. We will place new posts and signs on Sunday August 4. If you will be in Ponderosa that weekend and are interested in helping, we will assemble at the PCSD building at 10.00 am. Just bring working gloves. This should take 2-3 hours.

Finally, I want to thank all our permanent members who worked quite hard this winter to maintain and fix our water lines. They recently replaced more than 90 feet of main line. Without their dedicated work, we would not have been able to enjoy Ponderosa the way we do. We will have the opportunity to express our thanks to all of them soon.

Wishing you a nice summer with many beautiful and peaceful days in the mountains. Yves A DeClerck
PPOA President

 

  

Ponderosa Property Owners Association

INDEPENDANCE DAY CELEBRATION

PARADE – BBQ – Auction – Activities

Saturday JULY 6th, 2024

If you are a Ponderosa property owner, resident, and/or their guests, come join the festivities sponsored by your PPOA. (Membership in PPOA not required)

****A time for our Ponderosa Community to come together *****

PARADE 11AM: Join the parade, all you need is as vehicle with some patriotic decorations. Trophies awarded to top three entries. Line up on Aspen Dr. alongside the Mailroom. Judging ballots will be distributed before the parade starts, one to each family. Trophies will be awarded at the BBQ. (Please no social justice, religious or political themes; this event is for everyone)

BBQ 2:00PM: Assemble at the PCSD Building and enjoy hamburgers, hotdogs, chicken burgers, bean burgers and all the fixings. BRING A SIDE DISH and/or DESSERT TO SHARE

ACTIVITIES: Balloon toss, Cake Walk, Dog Show (best trick, best costume), Pinata, Donut on a String, and just plain fun for kids and adults.

LIVE AUCTION: Following the BBQ our auctioneer Bill Dolmovic and his helpers will try to clip you for all you got. Bring an item to auction off as part of this fundraiser. Proceeds go to the PPOA which supports many initiatives in our community including gatherings, funding for the Fire Brigade, street signs, community clean up, etc. Cash or Check only

BRING: Your beverages, chairs, dinner service, and maybe a shade canopy. We will have some limited dinner service available if you don’t have yours… just come and enjoy.

Contact: Tammi Stewart 559-542-2218 or tammistewart27@gmail.com If you

have time, please volunteer to help Tammi with set up.

Times are approximate. Participate at your own risk.

  

Frankly Speaking

From the Ponderosa Fire Brigade Chief

May 26, 2024

Brigade Training Dates for 2024

Fire Brigade Training Dates at the Community Building May26,10:00-11:00 June30,10-12

Log Cutting/Wood Splitting TBD

July 28, 10-12

CPR Certification TBD

August 25, 10-12

Chipping Day TBD

September 29, 10-12

Chipping Day TBD

October TBD

Dates for Training

Some of these dates overlap with the many holidays, event days and personal days. I tried to work through these dates and tried to be consistent with the last Sunday of the Month and know that people have personal lives. Thanks for your understanding and support.

Ponderosa Fire Brigade –

A Small Brigade Making a BIG Difference

May 26, PFB Training. 10 – 11:00 AM PCSD Community Building
Short informational meeting and moving equipment from SNOWHOUSE to PCSD garage.

1. InterestinCPRthissummer 2. BrigadeActivities
3. SafetyFirst
4. Engineer in charge

Cutting Rounds and Splitting Wood

The brigade has provided fire wood to community members in need. We will do it again this year! Please bring your saw and help us cut rounds from logs behind the Community Building. Look for a date at the end of June.

Log Donations

We are always looking for log donations. We cut then into rounds, split them and donate them to cabin owners in need. This year we hope to have extra split wood for cabin owners for a donation. If you have rounds or logs on your property and would like them split, we can do that for a donation as well. Call Frank at 542-22433.

Ponderosa Property Owners Association And Fire Brigade are merging together. Thank you to the PPOA and Fire Brigade Board for agreeing to merge back together. We should be done with formal paperwork by the end of summer.

  

Other:

Community Events

The Ponderosa Community Services District (PCSD) meets the 2nd Saturday of the month in the Community Building at 12:30. This organization is in charge of Snow Removal and Water.

The Ponderosa Property Owners Association (PPOA)
This group meets 4-6 times per year and provides support to property owners. This group organizes the Independence Day Picnic,-July 6, Friendsgiving Pot luck, Christmas Lights Contest, Flood Disaster Trash Pick Up etc. They will be joining with the Fire Brigade to provide a second “Chipping Day” this summer.

Fire Brigade Board Members
Ponderosa Fire Brigade
This organization invites all members of the Ponderosa Community to learn some basic fire fighting skills to protect our community and your own cabin. Meetings are the last Sunday of the month May through October. Training is 1-2 hours. We provide CPR/First Aid training also. The Fire Brigade also organizes wood chipping days at no cost. There is an AED available 24/7 in the cab of the fire truck in the garage of the Community Building on Aspen. We will make another AED available on the East side of the creek with a location to be announced.

Summer Property Preparation

The weather has taken a turn toward summer. Evenings are still cool but the

days are warming up. Here are some actions to take to keep your cabin safe. 1. Rake up the pine needles up to 30

feet around your cabin. Needles can be taken to the green waste area at any of the local dumps (though I would check with dump in Camp Nelson). These can be burned with a fire permit, only available online at: burnpermit.fire.ca.gov

2. Tree limbs should be cut up to 6ft above the ground.

3. Have a water hose that can go completely around you cabin.

4. Make sure your street address is visible from the street.

5. Put ashes from stove into metal container and make sure they are cold before disposing.

Emergency Response Reporting Procedure

Please note the procedure for reporting a fire or emergency has been updated. We suggest posting one copy in cabin and carrying another in your wallet. See next page.

Ponderosa Fire Brigade 56693 Aspen Drive Springville, CA 93265

Ponderosa Fire Brigade Board

Chief Frank O. 559-542-2433 fohne@pacbell.net Kelsey Lane

Matt Goldsmith Rich Thomas

 

Ponderosa Fire Brigade

Reporting a Fire/Medical Emergency

1.For all emergencies FIRST call 911 and report. NO EXCEPTIONS

2.Then call 1-866-623-7525. When prompted for “Phone ID” press 542-2433. When prompted for “Pin” enter 1013 Follow instructions to “Save” your message and send. This message will call all fire brigade members.

*EXAMPLE: EMERGENCY LOCATION: There is a fire at 54321 Aspen Dive, YOUR NAME: My name is Joe Johnson, DATE/TIME: today is May 3, it is 8:30 PM, Save your message and send.

Full Time Fire Brigade residents:

IMPORTANT NUMBERS

Frank Ohnesorgen
Matt Goldsmith Toro/Kelsey Lane
Jim Parminter
Robbie Cope
Dana Stewart -First Aide

542-2433 542-2709 542-0042 542-2524 542-2601 542-2218

Matt Goldsmith Toro Tree Service:

559-542-2709 559-542-0042

Cal Fire Camp Nelson Tulare County Roads Sheriff Office Porterville Camp Nelson Ambulance Western Divide Ranger Dist

559-542-2511 559-624-7071 559-782-9650 559-542-2140 559-539-2607

Fire Permit
Burn Day Declarations

FIRES

burnpermit.fire.ca.gov 877-429-2876

Ashes: Place ashes from your stove or fireplace in covered metal container. Leave in container until cold to the touch.

Burning Piles: Always get a burn permit Burnpermit.fire.ca.gov Call Tulare County to confirm it is a burn day at 559-539-2413. Always have shovel, hose and be present entire time of burn. DO NOT burn on windy days.

Chimney Fires: Throw a cup of water onto the fire then close the door to stove/fireplace. Steam should extinguish fire. Have chimney cleaned each year.

Chimney Sweep Services:

Chimney Services Jordan-Slate Earthwork

559-732-3200 559-542-2709

Property Fire Clearance of Debris

CUT AND CARRY IN WALLET

Reporting a Fire/Medical Emergency

1. For all emergencies FIRST call 911 and report. NO EXCEPTIONS

2. Then call 1-866-623-7525. When prompted for “Phone ID” press 542-2433. When prompted for “Pin” enter 1013. Follow instructions to “Save” your message and send. This message will call all fire brigade members.

*EXAMPLE: EMERGENCY LOCATION: There is a fire at 54321 Aspen Dive, YOUR NAME: My name is Joe Johnson, DATE/TIME: today is May 3, it is 8:30 PM, Save your message and send.