LTWCA Newsletter - Dec. 2008/Jan. 2009

Road Safety Task Force - Status Report

The joint task force had its first meeting on April 16th at which a number of folks from LTW and VV participated: Tom and Nussrat Uridel, Alex Kostrikin, Mary McDonald, Amanda Lee, Stan Gage, Bob Jones, Claudia Mazzetti and Richard Swan.  Subsequently Claudia and Amanda met with Diana Shu, DPW traffic engineer for San Mateo County.  Ms. Shu noted that Ramona Road is slipping.  The County has requested FEMA moneys to repair Ramona Road but were told it was an “existing condition” and therefore ineligible for funding.  The road continues to slip.  Another area of concern is Alpine Rd just downhill of Joaquin where there is the possibility of a major slide and shutdown with a very expensive (bordering on impossible) rebuild should it occur.  We expect that community pressure will be necessary to get  the two projects done.  These are major arteries to VV & LTW! 

DPW  took traffic data on Vista Verde Way, Ramona Rd., Los Trancos Rd. and Los Trancos Cir.  Areas of concern were speeding on VV Way and Ramona Rd. (10-15 MPH above speed limit) and driving the wrong way on the one-way streets, LT Rd. and LT Cir.

Preliminary Signage Plans:  In response to this data, the following is a partial list of proposed DPW changes:

-  Add pavement markings to highlight direction of flow and remind drivers of speed limit in Woods;

-  Replace resident installed “10 MPH” sign and add “Road Narrows” as VV Way ends and merges into LT Circle;

-  At the corner of OST and VV, relocate 25 MPH sign back towards utility line;

-  At 281 Ramona Rd, add a new sign “Steep Slope, Reduce Speed”;

-  At 132 or 136 LT Rd, replace “School Bus” with “Caution” or “Slow”;

-  Existing signage at LT Rd. and LT Cir. intersection is very confusing will be simplified and clarified.

-  Wherever possible, international signage will be used (visuals rather than words).

DPW does not have the funds to fulfill all of our requests.  It is now time for both communities to step up to the plate and help create our own friendly signage. We're looking for folks who would like to help brainstorm, create, and locate local signage! Please contact with any questions, concerns, volunteer urges: Roads Task Force, Claudia Mazzetti, Chair  Claudia@rjswan.com, 851-8347.

Submitted by Claudia Mazzetti, Road Task Force Chair

Emergency Preparedness

Carmel Way resident Steve Friedman has assumed the role of the LTW Emergency Preparedness Coordinator. He takes over from Arthur Nielsen who is moving out of state.  Steve's top priorities will be to update our Emergency Communication Tree and to enlist volunteers as District and Team Leaders. For more information or to volunteer call 851-7407 / 851-3603, (cell) 454-9093, or e-mail: steve@sfmarketeam.com.   He encourages residents to attend this important and valuable class:

FREE Community Emergency Response Training (CERT), starting Tuesday,  January 13th, six Tuesday evenings and a Saturday at Woodside Fire Stations 19 and 7. 

Develop skills that prepare you to help your family and neighbors during a fire, earthquake, or other disaster. For more details go to: http://www.cerpp.org/cert/. 

Submitted by Emergency Preparedness Coordinator

(Editor’s note:  We all owe Arthur Nielsen a great deal of gratitude for the energy and time he put into our Emergency Program since Spring ‘05.  He ran drills, kept supplies current, informed us, and  put in some concentrated effort to identify our radio dead spots.  We all benefited from his work!)

Water District News

The water district has disbursed $45,000 to fund projects in fire safety.  So far 58 homeowners are participating.  Funds still remain for the replacement of shake roofs, eucalyptus removal or the creation of defensible space.  Please see www.ltcwd.org -> fire safety for details or call Charlie

Krenz at 851-8085.

Submitted by Charlie Krenz, Los Trancos County Water Board

A Garden For All Seasons and Reasons

Vista Verde/Los Trancos Woods has a plethora of wonderful people and families that I have met since we recently  moved here, and I can envision both coming together in a children’s community garden. I have already spoken with at least 6 families with children who would love to participate.  Can you imagine the opportunity for our children to learn sustainable gardening, a sense of community and teamwork, and then reap the rewards of their efforts from a vegetable and wildflower garden?  I propose planning over the rainy season and commencing with the project around March.  Does anyone have a spare, sunny, garden space (about 20’ x 30’) for us to start with?  If you are interested and/or if you have children who would like to join the endeavor, please let me know, Lynde at: samarlyn8@gmail.com or 530-2051. 

We could use assistance in a number of areas:  tools, teaching gardening, design (building boxes), seeds, rich soil,  compost, animal deterrence, and last but not least, having a blast with the children.

Submitted by Lynde Alvarez in VV

Neighborhood Notes

-  Our community owes a big thank you to Peri Nielsen who has served on the LTWCA Board since 2001 as one very efficient secretary.  Many times her accurate minutes were in our e-mail inbox before our heads hit the pillow the night of the meetings.  She was no stranger to putting in time on community projects like road signage, zoning changes, and picnics.  We wish you good luck in your new neighborhood, Peri.

-  We have an intrepid volunteer duo for stocking the dog poop pickup bag containers, Patt Baenen and Wilma.  Since Wilma and Patt are out in all kinds of weather and enjoy a hearty walk, they have been diligently filling all three of our containers.  Thank you, Patt and Wilma!

-  Welcome to the new VVCA officers:  Don Ramsey, President, Danusia Szumowski Greenleaf, Vice- President, Ruth Taylor, Treasurer, Sherri Coats, Secretary.  A hearty thank you to Amanda Lee, outgoing President, who did so much for both VV and LTW!  It was a pleasure to work with you.

September 2006 Directory Changes

Please make these changes to your 2006 LTW Directory.

Delete:     June Bilisoly, Mary Ann Brackbill, Al Cote, Gibbs, and Wagners.

If there are changes to be published in the Newsletter, please let Linda, 851-1787, know.

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 Tsing Xue for copying our newsletter.

A notice from the Editor: With this issue I formally welcome individual articles from both the Los Trancos Woods and Vista Verde communities.  In the past I have frequently published articles from the many joint projects that VV and LTW have done together.  VV has been receiving their Newsletter copy by e-mail, and I wish to survey LTW if we should also receive it by e-mail instead of a printed copy.  You may contact me, Linda Drey-Nightingale.