CONGRATS TO

204 PLANTERS COURT

for the winning this years BEST DECORATED HOME

in GRANDE PARK!!!!!

DRIVE BY TO CHECK IT OUT!

ALSO, THANK YOU FOR ALL THOSE THAT PARTICIPATED IN THE

CANNED FOOD DRIVE! I HOPE TO POST PICTS SOON!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL OUR GRANDE PARK RESIDENTS, PLEASE HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

GRANDE PARK HOLIDAY FOOD DRIVE and

HOLIDAY DECORATING CONTEST

Please donate canned foods for our Holiday food drive. Place your bags of cans out by your mailbox before 6:30pm on Sunday, December 19th. We will come by and pick them up and donate them to the Durham Rescue Mission for families in need!

Also,.... while we collect the can goods, we will also be choosing the best Holiday-Decorated home! This year's winner gets a $25 gift card to Lowe's!

There won't be any Caroling this year- but let us know if you miss it and we will get it going for next year!

Happy Halloween!

The air is cool the season fall
Soon Halloween will come to all
"BOO" is a shield from witching hour
Just hang it up and watch its power
The treats will come with a crypted note
Are yours to keep, enjoy them both
The power comes when friends like you
Will copy the note and make it TWO
Then others here among our friends
Will give warm fuzzies that do not end
We'll all have smiles upon our faces
No one will know who "BOO"ed whose places
Just one short day to work your spell
Or a big ZAP will strike your tail
And don't forget a nifty treat,
Like something cute or something sweet
Please join fun, let's really hear it
And spread some "BOO"s and Halloween spirit.

Thanks for all the residents that turned out for the Grande Park Fall Festival it was a lot of fun!
And a BIG BIG thanks to the Duvals and Ludwigs who hosted the event in their front yard! I hope to post picts soon! Check back!

SAVE THE DATE!!!

~ GRANDE PARK ~ FALL FESTIVAL ~

OCTOBER 9, 2010

2 pm- 5pm

music, bounce house, and other activities!

Accura Court

AUGUST YARD OF THE MONTH

3 TACOMA CT.

GREAT JOB! CHECK IT OUT!

GRANDE PARK will be participating NATIONAL NIGHT OUT, an annual event designed to strengthen our neighborhoods though police-community partnerships. The goal is to heighten crime and drug prevention awareness, build support and participation in local anti-crime programs and, most importantly, send a message to criminals that our neighborhood is organized and fighting back. It's also the perfect opportunity to get to know your neighbors even better!

GRANDE PARK's NATIONAL NIGHT OUT event will be held
TUESDAY AUGUST 3

from 6:30-7:30 pm at the GRANDE PARK PLAYGROUND!!!

Refreshments will be provided. Please plan to stop by, meet some neighbors. Learn who your block captain is and provide your contact information so that your block captain can contact you in the event of a crime event in the area.

We look forward to seeing you

at GRANDE PARK's NATIONAL NIGHT OUT EVENT

TUESDAY AUGUST 3

FROM 6:30-7:30

AT THE GRANDE PARK PLAYGROUND!

UPCOMING EVENTS IN GRANDE PARK:

AUGUST 1 - YARD OF THE MONTH WILL BE AWARDED

AUGUST 3 - NATIONAL NIGHT OUT 6:30 @ the Playground

AUGUST 5 - NEXT HOA MEETING ~ 7pm at President's home

ALL ARE WELCOME TO PARTICIPATE IN ALL OF THESE EVENTS!

JULY YARD OF THE MONTH

HAS BEEN AWARDED TO

1817 MYSTIC DR.

I promise to get picts up soon of both June and July winners!

As always, the July winner was awarded a $25 gift card and gets to show off her winnings with the Grande Park Yard of the Month sign in her yard for all of July!

AND THE YARD OF THE MONTH GOES TOO......

1703 MYSTIC!!!

PICTURES TO COME SOON!

CHECK IT OUT ON GRANDE PARK'S FACEBOOK PAGE TOO!

The winner was awarded a $25 gift card to Lowes AND the prestigious YARD OF THE MONTH sign to show off for the month of June.

WILL YOU BE NEXT???

YARD OF THE MONTH

This year, the Grande Park HOA is looking for 4 beautiful homes to award the coveted YARD OF THE MONTH prize to! The first winner will be chosen and notified the first week of June. Each winner gets a $25 gift card to Lowes and can show their pride by hosting the GRANDE PARK YARD OF THE MONTH SIGN in their yard for 1 month!

The Yard of the month is intended to get residents excited and motivated to make Grande Park a beautiful and desirable neighborhood to live and play in! We are all concerned about property values and this is a way to increase them!

Make your neighbor jealous by winning the Yard of the Month!

SATURDAY MAY 15
GRANDE PARK NEIGHBORHOOD YARD SALE!

The HOA will advertise the sale in WRAL.com and other resources and post signs. Get your stuff out early to take advantage of the early bird yard sailers! Good luck, I hope you make lots of money!!!

I heard there was an attempted break-in at a house in a neighboring neighborhood. Its getting to be that time of year again, everyone be safe and be sure to lock your doors!

Water Usage Reminder

Did you know that the City of Durham has a Year-Round Water Efficiency Ordinance?

The mandatory schedule applies to any spray irrigation system and allows customers with addresses that end in an odd number to water on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Customers with even-numbered addresses are allowed to water on Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday. No watering is allowed to occur between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. on these days and no customers are permitted to water on Mondays.

Temporary licenses are available for the establishment of new landscapes and hand-watering, and drip irrigations systems are not restricted by this ordinance. For more information about the City of Durham’s Year-Round Water Efficiency Ordinance, visit www.DurhamSavesWater.org.

THE GRANDE PARK NEIGHBORHOOD IS NOW ON FACEBOOK!

PLEASE JOIN THE GRANDE PARK NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP TO INTERACT WITH YOUR NEIGHBORS, POST COMMENTS AND COMMUNICATE WITH ALL OF THE RESIDENTS OF GRANDE PARK!

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pages/Grande-Park-neighborhood/107197289319955

HOA BOARD MEETING:

THURSDAY APRIL 8, 2010

7PM

1811 MYSTIC

ALL WELCOME, PLEASE COME!

The Google Fiber Project:

Google is planning to launch an opportunity that will make Internet access better and faster for everyone. The networks will deliver Internet speeds more than 100 times faster than what is considered average by most Americans. The launch will make fiber-to-the-home connections over 1 gigabit per second.

There's something you can and should do to support the effort:

•Join the Facebook group (currently 2,200+ fans)
•Post to Twitter about our efforts using the hash tag #hifiberdurham
•Submit an idea on the HiFiber Durham web site or vote for an idea about how to use Google Fiber
•Nominate Durham individually for the network (perhaps the most important action you can take other than sharing this information with a friend). Just click "Get Involved" and nomiate Durham!

8th Annual Easter Egg Hunt and Social

Saturday March 27

at the Grande Park Playground

11 am (weather permitting)

Grande Park kids of all ages are invited to decorate baskets, hunt for eggs, win prizes and play with the neighbors!

You should have received a flyer in your mail slot this weekend!

If you plan on attending (and hunt eggs) please drop off candy on the front porch of

1715 Mystic Dr. by Thursday March 25!

Volunteers are needed to hide eggs that morning at the Playground or bring refreshments, please contact Carol or Karrie (our e-mail addresses are at the bottom of this blog) if you are interested in helping! Thanks!

Remember that Daylight Saving Time begins this weekend. On Sunday, at 2 a.m., you are reminded to set your clock ahead one hour.

While changing your clocks, this is the perfect time to complete your bi-annual check on your smoke detectors. Twice a year, batteries in smoke detectors should be evaluated and changed to ensure detectors are fully charged and ready if needed. Make special note that smoke detectors should be tested monthly and replaced at least every ten years.

Non-emergency for BARKING DOGS call: 560-4600

We have had several complaints about barking dogs in the neighborhood. If you have a dog outside, please take note if he/she is barking at every squirrel, passer-by or vehicle. If you can hear him/her, then your neighbors can too! If you are annoyed by the constant barking of a dog you can do several things.

1. TALK TO THE DOG OWNER. Notify them that their dog is barking incessantly, or at unreasonable hours... they may not know!

2. Call Animal Control 560-0630. Although Animal Control does not enforce the nuisance laws in the City of Durham , they may want to come out and check the dogs environment and make sure there are no abuse issues occurring.

3. Call the City PD's non-emergency # 560-4600. This is the number to call for nuisance issues in the City of Durham. There are certain requirements for the barking to constitute a nuisance, it can't just be once in a while barking, or barking when provoked. It needs to be barking continuously for a certain time period in the night hours. Be specific of your complaint!

Your attention to this matter is greatly appreciated!

The HOA Board met last night for the annual change of officers. Here are your new officers:

President: Shinette Richmond
Vice Pres: Cas Duval
Secretary: Cynthia Duval
Treasurer: Karrie Comatas

We look forward to serving the community, but need the residents input to really make a difference!

We also scheduled the Annual Easter Egg Hunt, which will be held Saturday March 27 with a rain date of April 3. Mark your calendars now!

THE NEXT MEETING OF THE GRANDE PARK HOA BOARD IS

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 4, 2010

7 P.M. AT 1811 MYSTIC

ALL ARE WELCOME ~ PLEASE COME!!!!

Animals Unchained in Durham

• Anti-tethering ordinance became effective January 1, 2010.

Durham, N.C. – Days of chaining the dog to the fence or tree are long gone. On Friday, January 1, the new Anti-Tethering Ordinance went into effect in Durham County. The ordinance, passed by the Durham Board of County Commissioners in September 2008, prohibits dogs from being bound by a chain or any type of tethering device. The ordinance also states that a dog owner cannot leave their animal unattended.

The anti-tethering ordinance is designed to protect dogs and citizens of Durham. Dogs left tied can be at risk of accidental choking or injuries from being entangled. Improper tie outs can result in dogs breaking the tie out and becoming a nuisance or danger to neighbors and other animals, getting lost, injured or even killed. Lack of human contact when dogs are tied out can lead to loneliness for the dog and even dog aggression.

To avoid potential problems for dogs kept outside, dog owners must install an above ground or underground fence. The minimum requirements for the fence are:

• 100 square feet for a dog under 20 pounds (10 x10 pen)
• 200 square feet for a dog over 20 pounds (10 x 20 pen)

Dog owners that violate the ordinance can receive a civil fine as small as 50 dollars, up to a more serious penalty of criminal charges.
The New Year has brought new rules for Durham County. For questions or more information about the new anti-tethering ordinance, contact the Durham County Animal Control Division at 919-560-0630.

All of us who are members of the Grande Park Homeowners Association Board are deeply concerned about the condition of certain mailboxes in our community. As members of the HOA Board we do our best to be good neighbors in this community. But we believe our best can always be better, and we need your help.

You can help us by maintaining your property to the best of your abilities. It is preferred that mailboxes all remain the color as installed for the uniformity of the neighborhood. The Architectural Review Board (ARB) will accept written complaints concerning maintenance of properties in the neighborhood in an effort to maintain the visual and aesthetic quality of Grande Park. These issues will be handled on a case by case basis for the interest of those involved. Our desire is to keep the value of our homes as high as possible.

As president of the Board I am soliciting your help in lieu of trying to use other methods to bring the mailboxes and posts up to standards. You are invited to e-mail, call, or write a letter concerning this issue. Many of us have been hearing a lot of talk about this subject and we would like to hear from you. We have had some responses from concerned neighbors who have replaced or repaired their mailboxes and that response is just what we are looking for.

We cannot fix this problem without full neighborhood support. If this efforts fails to get the response we hope for then other actions that are less desiring will be taken.



Don McFarland
President, HOA Board

Annual Meeting update!

Only 2 people outside of the HOA Board of Directors showed up to the annual meeting! I guess that means the Board is doing a good job and there are no complaints by residents!?!

Here are the highlights from the meeting.

The Presidents annual report is pasted below.
The Yard of the month will be extended 1 month this year from June - September.
Shinnette Richmond's was extended another 2 years.
Karrie Comatas was appointed to the Board.
Mailboxes continue to be a concern since the appearance of the neighborhood is a huge factor in property values.
There continues to be a need for active Block Captains for the security of our neighborhood.



HOA Board President’s Annual Report (2009):

The year 2009 marked the 7th year for the Grande Park Homeowners Association. The Homeowners Board has continued the established programs that were in place during previous years. The HOA Board consist of 6 members.

Present members are:
Don McFarland – President
Shinnette Richmond – Vice President
Cynthia Duval – Secretary
Carol Hammett – Member
Yvonne Wright – Member
Cas Duval – Member

Morgan Property Management continued to represent Grande Park and Sheryl Morgan’s contract was renewed for another year.

Newton’s Landscaping was renewed for another year. Newton’s Landscaping has continued doing an excellent job. Everyone seems to be very satisfied.

The Social Committee, chaired by Carol Hammett and Shinnette Richmond, continued with events and programs such as the Easter Egg Hunt, the yard sale, the National Night Out and Caroling/Food collection for the Durham Rescue Mission in December. The $25.00 gift certificate was given to Amy Ludwig for the best Christmas decorations. These events were successful due to the tireless efforts put forth by these two chairpersons. Our community owes them and all the other residents who contributed, thank you on behalf of our community!!!!

The Street Representatives, established in 2004, continued to play a critical role in representing the neighborhood and making sure needed information was distributed to their respective groups. As of this time we have all nine street representative positions filled. We need others to step up and help in this endeavor. Based on the most recent statistics crimes can occur in any neighborhood.

The Grande Park Blog, maintained by Carol Hammett, continued to keep the neighborhood informed of current events. Carol has done an outstanding job.
(http://grandeparkhoa.blogspot.com/)

The Architectural Improvement Committee (ARC) continues to keep our neighborhood in compliance with the Architectural Guidelines that were established and then revised in August 2003. Cas Duval has continued to do an excellent job.




Appearance: Thanks to most of Grande Park homeowners for the way they have maintained their property’s appearance. One problem area is the way some animal owners continue to let the animals use the bathroom along Bivins and Umstead roads and have not picked up the animal’s droppings. I have also received complaints from some homeowners within the neighborhood itself. Each person is responsible for the cleanup of their animals mess. This is a continuing problem.

Stolen Property and Malicious Vandalism: Several homeowners have informed me that they have had items stolen. These incidents have happened recently and seem to be escalating. These problems and some other incidents have created the immediate need for improving the Neighborhood Watch Program. Anyone seeing someone stealing or vandalizing property should call 911 immediately. You may request that you not be identified if that is your desire.

Neighborhood Needs
1. 2 individuals to serve on the ARC
2. 2 individual to serve on the Social Committee

Thanks to each member of the board and committees during the past year. Your tireless efforts did not go unnoticed. Without your time and efforts this neighborhood would not be the fine place it is.

It has been my pleasure to serve as your HOA Board President for the past year. I appreciated your support and input.


Donald McFarland, Board President
Grande Park Homeowners Association

ANNUAL MEETING

You should have received a notice of the Grande Park annual meeting in the mail by now. This is a mandatory meeting of the HOA and is a great opportunity for you to come out and voice your opinions, good or bad and bring ideas and thoughts on how we can improve Grande Park to make it an even better place to live.

The agenda for the meeting is as follows:
Election of open seats on Board of Directors
Reports from officers and Committees
Financial reports & presentation of the 2010 budget
Any other business deemed necessary or desired

The Board has proposed that the annual 2010 dues increase to $235 per year, an increase that does not require a homeowner vote. I will post the Presidents Message as well as an update to the annual meeting here.

HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!

when: THURSDAY JANUARY 7, 2010 7PM

where: ALDERSGATE METHODIST CHURCH

what: GRANDE PARK ANNUAL MEETING

who : ALL GRANDE PARK RESIDENT THAT HAVE AN INTEREST IN THE WELL BEING OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD SHOULD ATTEND!