President s Message by Bob Ferber

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1 March 2008 SADDLEBACK EXPRESS A publication for the home and lot owners of Saddleback Estates 2008 Directors President: Secretary: Treasurer: Architectural: Grounds: Bob Ferber Kurt Simon Ron Markham Margareta Asgharzadeh Janice Fleming Next 2008 Homeowner Meeting (Beecher Room, Placer County Auburn 7 PM) Tuesday, March 11 Communications: Kurt Simon President s Message by Bob Ferber As a reminder, our board and officers for 2008 are Robert Ferber, President; Margareta Asgharzadeh, Vice President; Kurt Simon, Secretary; Ron Markham, Treasurer. Janice Fleming rounds out the 2008 board. Committee Chairs for 2008 are: Margareta Asgharzadeh, Architectural; Janice Fleming, Grounds; Ron Markham, Financial; Bob Ferber, Social; and Kurt Simon, Communications. If you are interested in serving on one of the standing committees, please call me or one of the committee chairpersons. We want to re-activate a telephone tree as a part of a Neighborhood Watch Program. If anyone can take the lead or a supporting role in planning and organizing this Saddleback safety enhancement, please call me or Kurt Simon to volunteer.

2 We need to observe the proper practices when walking, driving, or riding bicycles around our roads here in Saddleback. Since we have no sidewalks, most people walk on the pavement, especially this time of year, when rain may make the roadsides muddy. For drivers, please observe the speed limits posted. For bicycle riders, follow the driving rules and ride to the same side of the street (right) as auto traffic does. For walkers or joggers, be sure to walk on the left side of the street, facing oncoming traffic. AT&T high speed DSL computer data service has recently become available in Saddleback, with the installation of new fiber optic terminal facilities at the Blue Grass and Dry Creek Road location. I subscribed to it in November and have been very satisfied with the service improvement over the provider I had been using. Remember, our Saddleback HOA membership meetings are scheduled the second Tuesday of every other month. Our next Saddleback HOA meeting is on Tuesday, March 11, 7PM at the Nevada Street library. Please mark your calendar and try to attend the meeting, which is held for you, the Saddleback residents. Please bring your comments and ideas for Saddleback to the meeting for presentation and discussion. Bob Ferber, SHOA President 2008 SHOA DUES ARE DUE! The last day for having paid dues on time was February 1. After that the dues are subject to a $10.00 late assessment. To date we have 94 lot dues paid on time and 10 that are still unpaid. Thanks to everyone that has paid. If you have not yet paid yours, please send them in ASAP to: Saddleback Homeowner s Association, P.O. Box 6691, Auburn, CA

3 Homeowner s Association Meeting Minutes, January 8, 2008 The meeting was called to order at 7:08 p.m. in the Beecher Room of the Auburn Library, by Bob Ferber, President, presiding. The following 2008 directors were present and were introduced by President Ferber. Margareta Asgharzadeh Vice President & Architectural Chair Ron Markham Treasurer Absent: Kurt Simon Secretary Jan Fleming Common Grounds The meeting continued since there were enough proxies for a quorum. The speakers were Ardath Winterowd and Ray Johnson, co-authors of a book about local poet/author Clark Aston Smith, a little-known author who was born in Auburn in 1893 on a 40-acre parcel near what is presently called Poet Smith Lane. Winterowd and Johnson s book is Smith s life story and includes several of his original manuscripts. Winterowd created the artwork for the book. Smith left school after grammar school and used the old Auburn Library to learn several languages and history. He was a voracious reader. Smith wrote off-beat stories in the fashion of Edgar Allen Poe in his rustic cabin with no power, water or plumbing. His first story was published when he was 17 years old. He was a solitary man who did odd jobs since much of his writing failed to provide him with a means of support. He married in his sixties and died in the late 1950s. While he was not well-known in his home town of Auburn, he is nationally and internationally acclaimed. Several of his books have been published in foreign countries and at one time his books were published through the Auburn Journal. One of his stories was produced for the Rod Sterling television series after his death. Had he been alive today, the royalties from the television show and the purchase of the 40 acres his family owned would have made him a very wealthy man. The book by Winterowd and Johnson is for sale at $30 and $60 respectively the higher priced book is boxed and autographed. They are available through Ardath s Artistic Enterprises. Continued on next page!

4 Homeowner s Association Meeting Minutes, continued! Nov. 13, 2007 Minutes Approval: MSA: Motion by Margareta Asgharzadeh, second by Ron Markham and approved. Old Business/New Business : Neighborhood Watch: Bob Nelson asked that the Neighborhood Watch discussion be tabled until the next meeting due to the small attendance. Social Events possibilities: Also tabled until the next board meeting. Treasurer s Report: The Treasurer s report was approved as submitted. At this time, approximately 75% of the 2008 annual fees have been received. Common Grounds Committee: No report. Architectural Committee Report: At 7:30 PM, Margareta announced an Architectural Committee meeting to be held at her house on Jan. 17. Bob Ferber noted that AT&T has recently installed a fiber optic terminal at the entrance to Saddleback. AT&T DSL service is now available for most of, or all of, the Saddleback residents. There being no additional business it was MSA to adjourn at 7:55 p.m. Motion by Bob Nelson, seconded by Ron Markham and carried. Respectfully submitted, Eileen Ferber, Acting Secretary

5 Common Grounds It's spring and time to put pre-emergent on your property to prevent or slow down weeds. A good company to use for weed control along the road way is Sierra Pest Control. They also spray the rest of your property as needed and are very reasonably priced for all your weed control needs. That's much easier than doing it yourself! PLEASE take your garbage cans in on collection day! If you can't, ask your neighbor. If you're not home, we don't want to see your garbage can on the street all week and it leaves a message that you may not be home. Unwanted people are on the lookout for these signs. When you pick up your mail, remember to also pickup any "leftovers" at the mailbox area. It helps our area look it's best! Also, DO NOT LEAVE ANY PHONE BOOKS AT THE MAILBOX. It is your responsibility to recycle your "mail", the post office personnel do not pick them up. Janice Fleming

6 AC CORNER The Architectural Committee went on a tour of the property late in January. Several deviations from the existing CC&R s were noted, but we also appreciate that with winter temperatures doing yard work is a rather easily put-off chore. Spring is just around the corner and we are hopeful that you will look objectively at your property and correct those items which are obvious and irritating to your neighbors. Our next tour will be Lot Specific as far as needed areas of improvement. The best way to not be on the Lot Specific List is to tidy up those areas that need attention. If you have any debate as to what is required, please review your copy of the CC&R s and the Standards. If you are unable to find your copy, please contact any member of the Architectural Committee and we will get you a copy or check Architectural Committee Members: Margareta Asgharzadeh info@goldenswann.com Tom Brady barflyldr@mindspring.com Chris Morton Jim Thomsen kathleen.thomsen@wachoviasec.com

7 DSL in Saddleback You ve heard from Bob Ferber that DSL is now available in Saddleback. I have an article (the ONLY article!) in the Homeowners Manual on our website that I have updated to include the DSL. I have it now, as well as cable internet (temporarily), and it seems to work as well as cable at a lower cost and difficulty of installation. If you re still on dial-up, you don t have usable internet access, and there s no excuse for not getting broadband. It s a different world of convenience in comparison to dial-up. Check out: Kurt Simon Homeowners Web Site: SADDLEBACKHOMEOWNERSASSOCIATION.com (note: no spaces reduces the returned search list)

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