LTWCA Newsletter -
October/November 2008
Who-o-o-oÕs
Knocking at Your Door?
Trick-or-treaters!
Want to know more?
All ghost, goblins,
witches, monsters, spirits and wild beasts!
Man your doors, light
your lanterns, we are coming to trick or treat!
Our gang of little
creatures is bringing All Hallow Eve back to the woods.
We would love to have
you trick us or give us something good!
We may surprise you,
when you least expect it on October thirty-first.
So start decorating and
concocting, our appearance is unrehearsed!
Bo-o-o,
Your friendly
neighborhood munchkins!
p.s. There will be a
haunted house at 1124 Los Trancos Rd. for those who dare to venture there.
Poetically submitted by
Jane Leibowitz
A few years ago
Halloween was a time for neighborhood children to be out in force. Many
would invite their friends to join them on Òthe best route everÓ around the
Circle. There used to be houses famous for their decorations and eerie
sounds, like 151 Los Trancos Circle, or home baked cookies and lemonade
courtesy of Cynthia Gibbs. The community cherished this time when all
shared in the delights of childhood whimsy. Halloween is coming up and we
invite all families to get out into the neighborhood and discover the joys of
trick-or-treating locally. Residents, we challenge you to supply the fun
and treats. Make sure you leave the light on. Who-o-o-oÕs knocking?
Sudden
Oak Death Update
Pruning and Removal of
California Bay Laurel Trees to minimize Sudden Oak Death (SOD):
Bay Laurel control is of
equal, if not greater, importance than treating your Oaks with Agri-Fos. Right
now, before the rainy season, is a great time to get this done. The LTC
Water Board is providing us with an ideal opportunity to get our bay trimming
done. They have arranged for another FREE chipper day on Monday, 27
October. LetÕs reduce SOD infection and our fire risk by trimming those
bays!
Sudden Oak Death, caused
by the fungus, P. ramorum, has become a substantial and increasing
problem in our community. A major risk for Oak infection comes from the
close intermingling of Bay and Oak. A careful study carried out by the
USDA forest service and published this year suggested pruning back Bays.
Their recommendations, verbatim, are as follows:
ÒThe risk of P.
ramorum canker and the severity of the disease can be greatly reduced, but
not completely eliminated by:
1.
Removing Bay from within 2.5 m (8.2 ft.) of the trunk of a susceptible Oak
2.
Extending Bay foliage-Oak trunk clearance to 5 m (16.4 ft.) where possible,
especially in the direction(s) from which storm winds blow.
3.
Pruning low branches to obtain up to 5 m (16.4 ft.) of clearance in the lower
canopy even if upper canopy Bay branches are present at closer horizontal
distances
4.
Eliminating poison oak climbing at canopy level within an Oak or in adjacent
tree within 2.5 m (8.2 ft.) of the Oak trunk.
For more information
please contact Amanda at president@vistaverdeca.org, or Linda at
851-1787.
Submitted by the Sudden
Oak Death Task Force
Emergency
Preparedness News
The autumn Earthquake
Drill will take place on Saturday, October 25 from 9:00 - 11:00 AM.
Los Trancos Woods will be focusing on radio communications within the
neighborhood and coordinating with the Vista Verde Emergency Operations Center
(EOC). In the coming weeks we will be contacting members of the Team to
update the telephone tree and organize for the Drill and the Preparedness
Team's ongoing activities. Please contact Arthur Nielsen at 851-9152 to
get involved.
Arthur Nielsen, LTW
Emergency Preparedness Coordinator
Remembrances
of Nelson Dake
Nelson - a dog walker, a
dog lover, a traveler, a swimmer, a joker, a congenial host, a neighborhood
contact, a storyteller, a companion wine drinker. Those of us who knew
Nelson will miss all those characteristics and more. Nelson died in a
swimming accident at Lake Tahoe in early August. Nelson had long been a
fixture of our walkable neighborhood with his lovable golden retrievers.
He and his wife, Joan, moved up here in the Ô80s while he was still teaching
high school. When he retired in 2001 he joined the LTWCA Board as the
District 2 Representative and served for a number of years and even hosted many
of the meetings. For those who knew Nelson and wish to share in a
celebration of his life, you are invited to his house at 1074 Los Trancos Rd.
on Saturday,
4 October at 2
p.m. Our hearts and thoughts are with Joan and the family.
Submitted by Linda
Drey-Nightingale
District
1 News
Congratulations to Gaya
and David Frampton who welcomed their second child and son Evan Jonathan on
June 16, 2008.
"Ray"
Raymond F. Smith, a long time resident of Los Trancos Woods, passed away on
August 16, 2008. Born on November 21, 1921; Ray was reared in San Bruno
and spent most of his life here on the peninsula. During WW II he served
his country as a member of the Navy CB's (Seabee's). He spent his career
as a carpenter and built his home on Ramona Road 45 years ago. Ray was
riding his motorcycle and enjoying life just before he entered the hospital on
April 14th. He was a proud American. Our sincere condolences to his
widow Rosalie and their families.
Submitted by Julie
Duncan
Neighborhood
Notes
- Attention hikers,
dog walkers, neighborhood wanderers! We need a replacement for the
indomitable Cynthia Gibbs who kept the ÒDoggie Poop BagÓ container
filled. You only need to check the container once every two weeks, so the
job is a cinch. Please volunteer at 851-1787.
- In a wonderful display
of concern for the well being of our neighborhood, Mike and Dodie McVey have
foot the bill to have a 175Õ tall eucalyptus removed near the corner of
Foxwood and Los Trancos Rd. Precariously located near power lines, phone
lines, houses, and parked cars, if any part or all of the tree had fallen there
would have been serious damage and possible loss of life. To boot Mike
had discovered at a fire prevention meeting that eucalyptus trees are torches
waiting to ignite during a fire. We cannot thank you enough, Mike and
Dodie, for your commendable action!
Next
Meeting - There is no meeting scheduled. Please see
the LTWCA Web Site for past minutes.
Los
Trancos Woods Community Association Web Site
The web site address
is:
The group e-mail list is:
http://lostrancoswoods.org/
ltwca@yahoogroups.com
Thanks to Jerry Jensen
for maintaining this site.
AND Thanks to Shan Wang for copying
our newsletter.