Pine Mountain Club and Frazier Park residents were recently notified that their Southern California Edison analog meters are scheduled to be replaced within the next few weeks by Corix Utilities, (877) 407-2317, Mon – Sat, 7 a.m. — 6 p.m. Edison, (877) 407-2317.

Many people I’ve spoken to in the area have expressed their concerns — health risks (wireless radio/microwave frequencies), fire threat, privacy, and possible spikes in utility bills. There is plenty of solid information on the Internet and from major news outlets to support their concerns.

Recently, the California Public Utility Commission made a request to Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric, to create a framework to allow customers to opt-out. Some Public Utility Commisions around the country have been successful in getting the utility companies to offer a low fee-based opt-out option for their customers.

Please feel free to forward this email around to your local friends. I asked Gary Meyer at the Enterprise Newspaper if he would keep local residents informed on the outcome of the CPUC request that could be months away and report any information on what residents can do right now to delay or opt-out from smart meter installations.

Here are a couple of links. You can Google keywords: “Smart Meters California” add “Edison”, “Heath Risks”, “Opt-out”, etc., for more information.

Santa Barbara — The great smart-meter debate came to the Santa Barbara City Council.

http://www.independent.com/news/2011/aug/11/smart-meters-hit-city-hall/

California Public Utility Commission:

http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/puc/ (Search keywords “smart meter opt-out”)
http://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PUBLISHED/DAILY_CALENDAR/141973.htm

San Francisco Office (Headquarters)
505 Van Ness Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94102

415.703.2782 — 800.848.5580 (Toll Free)

From SCE site: http://www.sce.com/CustomerService/smartconnect/common-questions.htm

The delay list allows SCE customers who do not yet have a smart meter to postpone the smart meter installation until the CPUC completes its regulatory process regarding a customer’s choice to opt out. Customers may request to be placed on the delay list by calling (800) 810-2369 (English) or (800) 477-4455 (Spanish), sending an e-mail to SCE, or writing a letter to SCE.

Download PDF version here

You are Invited to the
Pinon Pines Community BBQ
Sept. 17!

Pinon Pines will have its first ever Community Barbecue on Saturday, September 17, from 2 -6 p.m., at the Firehouse on Coldwater Drive. The HOA will supply the bbq meat, you bring a side or dessert to share. Meet your fellow Pinon Pines homeowners and have a fun time.  We plan to have a bounce house for the kids (weather-permitting).We are considering having a wine tasting fundraiser booth to help raise money to beautify the Firehouse lot and make it a better place to host such gatherings.

Let us know if you would like to help with the barbecue by contacting Brandon, or phoning/emailing an HOA boardmember (contact info is posted on the Pinon Pines website). More details will be posted on the Pinon Pines website and Facebook page. See you there!!

Results of Annual Meeting & Election June 23

We are happy to announce that HOA president Kevin Lundin, and vice president Laura Raymond, were both re-elected tosecond terms on the HOA board. Members also approved the IRS measure. Congratulations Kevin and Laura!

Community Emergency Response Team

Homeowner Mike Hall, a Kern County reserve deputy, is still interested inorganizing a Piñon Pines Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). CERT volunteers check oncommunity members during emergency situations, and can provide basic first aid if needed.If you are interested in sponsoring the Pinon Pines CERT (approximately $160/per each CERT member), ormost importantly, would like to volunteer to be a CERT member, contact Pinon Pines Manager Brandon Grosh, so he can coordinate with Mike Hall.

Kids are back at school!

As of August 20, the mountain schools are all back in session. There is limited space forparents to park and wait for the bus, so please be cautious and patient during pickup/drop-off times when driving by the mailboxes. The Mountain Enterprise will post the bus routes, so youcan avoid congestion when getting your mail. Also, when the bus has its red lights flashing, youmay not drive past it, or you will get a ticket.

Trash Cans

Just a friendly reminder: As per the HOA CC&Rs, trash cans should be putout for collection no sooner than the night before scheduled pick-up. After trash pick-up, , they are to beremoved from the street and put back in an inconspicuouslocation on your property, as soon as possible.

Pinon Pines Info on the Net

Find us on Facebook (Pinon Pines Estates), and at our very own website: http://pinonpines.com. On thewebsite, you can find the cc&r’s, fun information, and geton the community message board.

One Day Only!

Lebec Transfer Station
300 Landfill Road
Saturday, Aug 6, 2011
9:00 am to Noon

Download More Information (pdf)

April 2005

Information Regarding the Water System for Potential and New Residents of Pinon Pines Estates

The Pinon Pines Mutual Water Company is a privately owned water provider formed specifically to develop and maintain a safe, reliable and adequate supply of water for use by the Lot Owners within the geographical boundaries of Pinon Pines Estates.

The Water Company is owned by the Lot Owners of Pinon Pines, each lot equals one share in the Water Company. The shares are nontransferable.

The ongoing activities of providing water are overseen by the Board of Directors. There are five members on the Water Board. Meetings are held monthly on the second Tuesday at the Firehouse. All Shareholders or persons interested in Pinon Pines are encouraged to attend these meetings.

The Shareholders are provided water from wells that are within the property lines of Pinon Pines. There are three main producing wells located in the field along Whispering Pines Drive. A smaller well in the same area and two small wells located in the upper parts of Pinon Pines are used as emergency backup sources of water.

Wells 5 and 6 are the main producing wells for the community. Well 6 has recently gone through an extensive “overhaul”. Treatment systems are in place to control bacteria and assure that water delivered is safe for consumption.

The newest Well 7 was drilled, developed and placed into service about two years ago after a thorough evaluation of the geologic conditions present in Cuddy Valley. This well has excellent production, and does not appear to be heavily dependent on the rain / snow levels of recent years. This is comforting considering the drought years that have been the norm recently.

Test pumping and in use production has, however, shown that Well 7 does exceed the State maximum contaminant level (MCL) for fluoride of 2 milligram per Liter (mg/L). In use testing has shown that fluoride levels are fluctuating between 3.2 and 3.4 mg/L. The national requirement for maximum contaminant levels of fluoride is 4.0 mg/L.

When the levels of fluoride were discovered to exceed the state allowed mcl, a vote of all Shareholders was taken, and the Shareholders overwhelmingly approved the delivery of water to all residents of water with a mcl of 3.0 mg/L of fluoride. To deliver the lowest amount of exposure of fluoride containing water to the Shareholders, Well 7 is not operated until demand requires its use.

Well 7 will not placed into service until demand on the water system exceeds the capabilities of the other wells that produce water meeting the mcl for fluoride. When this occurs, the water from Well 7 is “blended” into the system to minimize the fluoride levels.

The system is constantly monitored and tested to assure that the water delivered to the individual properties has the minimum fluoride level obtainable. There are times when, during the dry summer months, demand is extraordinarily high and the water delivered to the Shareholders can exceed the maximum contaminant levels of 3.0 approved by the shareholders.

The concern is that excessive levels of fluoride have shown that the levels can have a detrimental effect on some children under the age of nine.

Fluoride in Drinking Water

At low levels, fluoride can help prevent cavities, but children drinking water containing more than 2 milligrams per liter (mg/L) of fluoride may develop cosmetic discoloration of their permanent teeth (dental fluorosis).  During certain times of the year, the drinking water provided by the Pinon Pines Mutual Water Company has a fluoride concentration ranging from 2.5 to 3.2 mg/L.  Dental fluorosis may result in a brown staining and/or pitting of the permanent teeth.  This problem occurs only in developing teeth, before they erupt from the gums. Children under nine should be provided with alternative sources of drinking water or water that has been treated to remove the fluoride to avoid the possibility of staining and pitting of their permanent teeth.  You may also want to contact your dentist about proper use by young children of fluoride-containing products.  Older children and adults may safely drink the water. Drinking water containing more than 4 mg/L of fluoride can increase your risk of developing bone disease.

We do not recommend boiling water because that will increase the concentration of fluoride.

Some home treatment systems are available that remove fluoride from drinking water. Information about the available devices can be obtained by calling the California /Department of Health Services Water Treatment Device Unit at (916) 449 5650 or visit the department website at: www.dhs.ca.gov/ps/ddwem/technical/certification/device/table.htm

The Pinon Pines Mutual Water Company is actively pursuing methods of minimizing the fluoride levels of water delivered to our “customers”. The water distribution system, as installed, requires that all water to replenish our storage tanks must pass through the main distribution piping before it reaches the main storage tanks at the highest elevation on the development. This creates times when the fluoride levels are higher than desired. Every effort is made to pump water into the system when water usage is and the use of water containing the higher than desired levels of fluoride is minimal.

Water treatment systems appear to be prohibitively expensive and create wastes that will have to be disposed of in special ways that can create more costs to the Shareholders.

The best system to minimize the delivered fluoride levels appears to be a more effective blending method. The Water Board is currently pursuing the possibility of the construction of a “Bypass Pipeline” that will pump water directly into the Storage Tanks. This will eliminate delivering water to any property until it has been efficiently blended for a maximum reduction of fluoride levels.

Some preliminary cost studies have been done and the Water Board is actively pursuing funding sources for the installation of this piping system. Additional information will be provided to the shareholders as it becomes available.

It appears that the available quantities of water should meet the demands of Pinon Pines Estates for the foreseeable future.

Conservation of this critical resource must always be of the utmost importance. Costs of pumping the water out of the ground and maintaining the system continues to rise. Extensive testing is required when Well 7 is in use to monitor fluoride levels so every effort is made to reduce the amount of time this well is in use.

Pinon Pines is geographically in a high desert environment. Any landscaping should be done with these conditions used as a guideline. It is highly recommended that a good automatic irrigation system be installed with any plantings. There are good sources of information available on the Web, and other sources, that will assist in designing a good efficient landscape. The soil in Pinon Pines is a heavy clay type that requires much less water than other types to provide sufficient moisture to plants.

Maintaining your property in good condition and maximizing the use of water efficient appliances and devices is always encouraged.

Pinon Pines Estates is and will remain one of the most desirable areas in this area. The Water Company continues to work toward that goal and with continued help from all of the Shareholders, all will benefit.

If you have any questions, please call the numbers above or contact any of the Water Board members.

Thank you for your interest in Pinon Pines.

Board of Directors
Pinon Pines Mutual Water Company

Many of you may have suffered tree damage due to the heavy snow. Here are a few tips:

1. If you have trees that are seriously bent over but not broken, try to straighten and stake them as soon as possible. The longer the cambium layer is stretched, the harder it will be for the tree to regain its nice straight shape.
2. Don’t use asphalt emulsion or paint over large wounds from broken branches. This can create a buildup of moisture and may cause problems with decay later on. Leave the wounds open to dry out. The tree will eventually form a callus over the area, even though it may take years.
3. If the tree has lost a large portion of the canopy, say more than two-thirds, the tree may not survive. Shape it up as best you can and wait until the end of the year to evaluate its health. Sometimes, you just have to remove it because it may not thrive or look as nice as it once did. Trees that have split down the center or have lost an entire side should be removed.

One positive note besides the extraordinary beauty outdoors is that we are getting plenty of exercise shoveling snow and don’t have to worry about our regular work out routines. Than means an extra cookie doesn’t it?

I hope all of you and your homes are safe, that power has been restored and that you did not suffer too much damage. This weekend, it’s supposed to warm up so that means less snow to shovel or at least the opportunity to get a suntan.

Pinon Pines Mutual  Water  Company Has Levels of Arsenic Above the Drinking Water  Standard.

Our  water  system  recently  violated  a  drinking  water  standard.  Although  this  is  not  an emergency,  as  our  customers,  you  have  a right  to  know  what   you  should  do,  what  happened , and  what  we are doing to correct this situation.

We  routinely  monitor  our  water  supply for the  presence  of drinking  water  contaminants.  Based  on  the  resulting  samples  collected from  February  16,  2010,  (1st  Quarter  2010) to August  3,  2010,  (3rd Quarter 2010) the  drinking water  produced  by Well  05 in  our water  system  contained  an  average  of  10.9  ug/L  (0 .0109  mg/L)  of arsenic.  Well 05  produces water that is  above the  standard,  or maximum contaminant level  (MCL ) ,  set by the State of  California  Depal iment   of  Public  Health of  10.0  ug/L  (0.010  mg/L).  This  standard  is based  upon the  running  annuai average of  the most  recent quarterly  arsenic monitoring.

What  should I do?

• You  do not  need to use an  alternative water  supply (e.g.,  bottled water).
• This  is  not  an  emergency.  If  it  had  been,  you  would  have  been  notified immediately.  However,  some  people  who  drink  water   containing  arsenic  in excess  of  the  MCL  over  many years may experience  skin  damage  or  circulatory system problems,  and may have an increased risk to  getting cancer.
• If  you  have  other  health  issues  concerning  the  consumption  of  this  water,  you may wish to  consult your doctor.

What  happened? What  is being done?

We are working with  the  California  Department of Public  Health to find  a  solution for our  high arsenic problem.

For  more  information,  please  contact  Terry  Liebel,  at  (661)  245-4420  or  the  California Department  of  Public  Health  at  (661)  335-7315 .  This  notification  of   all  water  users  is being  performed  in  compliance  with  law  and  regulations  of   the  California  State Department  of  Public Health to  keep you,  the  affected  public,  fully informed.

Please see the full document here:

http://www.pinonpinesonline.com/files/pdf/arsenic-warning.pdf

A quorum was achieved in the election of both the water and the homeowner boards in June 2009.

BOARD MEMBERS:

WATER:
Lee Benda 245-3636
Roger Huff 245-3078
Mike Hall 245-2144
Debbie Smith 818 703-6333
Kim Volkmar 245-2877

HOMEOWNERS:
Eric Anderson 245-5929
Gus Pivetti 245-5115
Kevin Lundin 245-0150
Laura Raymond 245-1815
Janine Tominaga
Bernice Trojahn, Manager 245-2276

CONTINUING ITEMS OF CONCERN:

As noted in last year’s newsletter (and in many newsletters in the past), several things continue to be of concern to many lot owners. Please make every effort to be a good neighbor and obey the association rules. CC&R references follow noted items. If you rent your property please give a copy of the CC&Rs to the tenant. Copies may be obtained from the association office.

LOOSE DOGS:

It seems that some of you have the opinion that because this is a rural area, rules do not apply. The manager and board members receive numerous complaints from residents about dogs barking continually (especially at night) and that many residents allow their dogs to run untethered on the streets of Pinon Pines. Leash laws are in effect here under Kern County regulations and it is not neighborly nor is it lawful to allow your dogs to run loose – even small dogs. Please keep your dogs enclosed on your property and properly fenced. Call Kern County animal control when you see loose dogs.
Reference:Section 16, a,b

PARKING:

The streets in Pinon Pines are very narrow and when vehicles are parked along the side of the road it is very dangerous. Quoting from the CC&Rs: “Parking of privately owned vehicles in Pinon Pines is limited to such areas where the vehicles can be parked at least three (3) feet off the edge of the pavement and IN FRONT of the homeowner’s property.” Parking violators will receive warning notices and non-complying vehicles will be towed at the owner’s expense.
Reference: Section 12,d

MOTORIZED VEHICLES:

No motorized vehicles (atvs, motorcycles, pocket rockets, etc.) may be operated on the streets in Pinon Pines by an unlicensed person. The streets are to be used for coming and going in Pinon Pines and NOT for recreation.
Reference: section 3-12, a,b,c, 17

ANNUAL ASSESSMENTS:

The annual assessments are billed each year on June 1st, and become delinquent on September 1st. Each year a few lot owners do not make arrangements prior to the account becoming delinquent. When the assessment becomes delinquent, it is sent to collection attorneys and you can be sure that when that happens, the balance owing doubles. When assessments are not paid, a burden is placed on all owners because there may not be sufficient funds available for necessary roadwork and repairs and for general maintenance. Some of our owners have put their account on a monthly schedule and have their bank remit an equal amount each month. We will accept payments and would be happy to arrange a payment schedule with you; however, it is overly costly for us to bill monthly. Please call to arrange payments. If we do not hear from you, we don’t know your intentions.
Reference: Section 8,b; 9,a,b,c,d,f

TRASH CONTAINERS:

Trash containers are to be placed on the street for collection no sooner than the night before collection and should be returned to your property as soon as possible on the day of collection. It is just being a good neighbor when you help to keep our community neat and orderly.
Section 3-16, f

SPEED LAWS:

As noted before, the streets in Pinon Pines are very narrow. There are many children living here and they do not always think before they dash into the street. The speed limit is 25 MPH and even that can be too fast if a child were to dash in front of your car. Please consider slowing down. It seems that every newsletter has made that same request – either we’re not saying it right or we have a lot illiterate people living in Pinon Pines. The highway patrol can and will give citations here. If you see a speeding vehicle, try to get the license number and report it to CHP.
Reference: Section 12,f

ADDRESSES:

There continues to be a few homes that do not have clearly visible addresses at the entrance to your property. This can be very important in times of emergency such as illness or fire.

The Pinon Pines governing documents can be seen and downloaded on the Pinon Pines website.

WAYS TO CONTACT US:

e-Mail: ppeloc@frazmtn.com
online: pinon pines.com
Mail: 1001 Coldwater Drive
Frazier Park, CA 93225
Phone: 661 245-2276

FIRE SAFETY:

The following guidelines are offered by the Kern County Fire Department for the safety of homeowners:

1. Remove branches, dead leaves and pine needles from the roof
2. Have address on the house well marked and visible to firefighters
3. Use a chimney screen to keep fireplace clear of debris and keep trees trimmed at least 19 feet from the outlet.
4. Lean, clean and green zone: a 30 foot area around the house that has as few flammable plants and trees as possible AND reduced fuel zone: a 70 foot area around the house with trees or plants spaced to prevent fire from spreading rapidly.
5. 100 feet defensible space: It is required by law to have 100 feet of defensible space to protect your house and provide a safe area for firefighters if necessary.

Trees should be limbed up at least 6 feet.
When removing ashes from your fireplace/stove, place them in a covered metal containers. There have been ash fires in Pinon Pines recently.