June 2015 SVCA NEWS COMMUNITY Cub Scout …suddenvalley.com/wp-content/uploads/6.15_SVViews.pdf · On May 21, Pack 19 Cub Scouts conducted a service project to show ... Bike Rodeo

SUDDEN VALLEY COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION

Sudden ValleyNaturally!

June 2015 w w w.s u d d e n v a l l e y.c o m

Fireworks | Pages 8-9Managing Director’s rePort | Page 7

Calendar ................................... 10Classifieds................................. 11Events ........................................ 10

12 pages | Volume 41 | Number 6

Progress ...................................... 2Opinion ....................................... 4Treasurer ..................................... 6

www.suddenvalley.com

PRST STDUS Postage Paid

Lynden, WAPermit #20


On May 21, Pack 19 Cub Scouts conducted a service project to show their appreciation for all the support that Sudden Valley has provided them. A lot of horsetails were pulled near the Adult Center. Thanks kids! (Photos by Leona Tolle)

Members Needed By Samantha Rorabaugh Communication Committee

Interested in guiding the future of Sudden Valley? Ever wished you could pro-vide input or guide the community toward a certain goal? The Long Range Planning Committee is for you! The LRPC is gearing up to review and update the long range community plan, and we need members! We are seek-ing 8 to 10 individuals representing differ-ent backgrounds and areas of the valley to create a planning process and begin put-

ting together the plan. In addition, we’ll need more volunteers for subcommittees and task forces for different parts of the plan. No experience or specific skill set is required – all members are welcome to ap-ply. Apply online or in person at the ad-ministration office. In your application in-dicate whether you are interested in join-ing the main committee or being tapped later for a subcommittee or task force. Contact Samantha Rorabaugh ([email protected]) or Carol Houl-ton ([email protected]) with questions.

Scouts Rode For Next RankBy Leona Tolle Special to the Views

Cub Scout Pack 19 participated in a Bike Rodeo to help earn their Bicycle Belt Loop and other achievements required for advancement to their next rank. A special thanks to Deputy J. Collins for advising the Scouts on Bike Safety and the Laws of the

Road, and to Chris Mellick of Whatcom Mountain Bike Coalition for developing a very adventurous bike course at the Sud-den Valley Community Center parking area. Cub Scouts are for any boys in 1st – 5th grades (7-10 years old). If your son enjoys outdoor adventures, building things such as Pinewood Derby Cars or rockets, or get-ting involved in community activities then Scouting is for him! Contact Cubmaster Leona Tolle at [email protected] for more information.

Bike rodeo

COMMUNITYSVCA NEWS

Service project

Cub Scout ActivitiesBoard changes bad debt policies, discusses GM powers

By Jennifer Spidle SVCA Accounting Manager

On January 31, 2014 our former management company (EMB) transi-tioned SVCA to a new accounting soft-ware, called C3. As you may have pre-viously read in the April 2015, SVCA Financial Condition, article, in January 2015 the acting Accounting Manager, subsequent to EMB’s management, dis-covered that EMB had inappropriately

posted many of the accounting trans-actions. These errors gave SVCA inac-curate data about the level of funding in each account. As a result, all 2014 SVCA journal accounts are assumed as incorrect. Upon discovery, the acting Accounting Manager notified our audi-tors and began an intensive line by line review of all journal entries over 2014. The acting Accounting Manager con-

Why are 2014 Financial Reports Delayed?

See FINANCES on page 6

See BOARD on page 6

Board attendance of other public meetings also talked aboutBy Brent Lindquist Managing [email protected]

The Sudden Valley Community As-sociation Board of Directors had a pair of short general meetings in May, pass-ing a capital funding request and dis-cussing the SVCA’s bad debt policy. The Board unanimously approved $2,390 from the CRRF fund to replace the operations office’s old printer. That was the extent of the voting action at the Board’s May 14 meeting. On May 28, the Board further dis-

cussed its bad debt policy, unanimously approving a pair of motions pertain-ing to bad debt and collections. These changes came about because the board now collects monthly instead of quar-terly. Also at the May 28 meeting, the Board talked about the general manag-er’s responsibilities and the scope of his power in terms of signing contracts. “A tenant was allowed to rent the snack shop area at the arena and operate a standup paddleboard operation out of that,” Board president Larry Brown said. “My understanding of the rationale be-hind why that was done without talking to the board is that there’s no cost to Sud-den Valley, no expenditure, it’s a small operation and it has a small impact to

Sudden Valley ViewSPage 2 | June 2015

Come Join Us on Saturday, June 6th for the Launch of FootGolf!

FootGolf uses a regular soccer ball and is kicked into 21” holeson the golf course (shorter distance than golf).

• All juniors (17 & under) play for FREE!• Prizes for adults & juniors for lowest score, highest score, closest one to the

hole and best FootGolf outfit!FootGolf is fun and easy to play, and a great family activity!

Go to www.afgl.us for more information on this exciting new sportand check out the article on page 9.

FootGolf will be available Thursday & Saturday evenings through September

Adults $16 • Juniors $12 • Discounts for Property Owners!More info: 360-734-6435 www.suddenvalleygolfcourse.com

FootGolf is here!Saturday, June 6

Sudden Valley Starts to Shine Since the beginning of 2015, there’s been a lot go-ing on in Sudden Valley. Long overdue capital maintenance and upgrades are being done, maintenance of our parks and grounds is being stepped up,

and new facilities have been added for the safety of our chil-dren. Our members have also stepped up to make us proud of our community. There is no better way to show this than in pictures.

Maintaining our Capital Assets The Administration building and the shelters at the Marina

and at AM/PM beach have long been neglected. These are both assets that are included in our Reserve Study and were overdue for regular maintenance. We have seen from the condition of the barns in our Community Center

area what can happen if these facilities have been neglected for too long a period of time. These photos show an updated Admin-istration Building and Shelters of which our members can be proud.

Marina Shelter

AM/PM Shelter

Regular Maintenance Our Maintenance Depart-ment has been diligently work-ing to improve the condition and safety of our park and playground areas. Maintenance crews have been cutting back brush along Sudden Valley roads and will start cutting back overhanging trees now that our bucket truck has arrived and the maintenance crew has had their safety training. Brush and tree maintenance will be done on approximately half

of Sudden Valley roads by end of summer. Full preventative main-tenance will not be complete until next summer, however emergen-cies will be addressed immedi-ately. The outside stairway to the second story of the Dance Barn was a safety hazard for children and adults because of gaps in the railing that could allow a person to fall through. Maintenance has replaced these gaps with posts which are close enough together to prevent an accident. The first photograph shows a Maintenance worker replacing the posts at the top of the stairway. You can see

the potential safety issues going down the stairs on the section that hasn’t been completed. Sec-ond photo is the finished job. This was just one small job that was addressed as soon as it was called to our attention, just one of many problems that Maintenance has been working on. Sudden Valley is responsible for the physical condition of the YMCA pool and the YMCA is re-sponsible for its operation. Also included below is a photo of the pool during seasonal start up in-cluding repairs and clean up. We will be ready for the YMCA to open the pool this year on June 20.

Administration Building

Road and Tree Clearing

New bucket truck clearing tree limbs at AM beach. Work will start in the neighborhoods on the first of June.

Pool Start Up

June 2015 | Page 3Sudden Valley ViewS

28 Longshore LaneCustom designed 3BR, 2.5BA Lake Whatcom view home. Features: soaring ceilings & floor-to-ceiling stone frplc in great room; custom cabinets, quartz countertops & s/s appliances in kitchen; master ste on main floor w/separate shower & tub; massive deck; & 3rd grg for boat or car. Waterfront access below & marina close by. $434,900

1 Twinflower CircleCharming 2-story, 3 BR home on sunny corner lot adjacent to green-belt. Built in 2005, this extremely well cared for home has a great-rm w/ vaulted ceiling creating a spacious feeling between the living rm, dining area & kitchen. Upper level master has an on-suite bath & walk-in closet. Family rm, 2 BR & a full BA down. $234,900

7 Tee CourtCharming Gate 1 chalet on beautifully treed lot backing onto golf course. Bright & sunny w/open kitchen/dining/living, one main flr bdrm & spacious loft bdrm w/double dormers & small deck. Lots of potential for updating, adding on or making living space in the unfinished crawl space. Located on one of Sudden Valley’s nicest streets. $189,900

26 North Point DriveOwner is ready to sell! Lake view contemporary in beautiful Gate 1. Open floor plan with lots of natural light, 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths & family room plus den. 2,251 sq. ft. finished with 401 partially finished. Low maintenance 7,841 sq. ft. lot. Now only $330,000

3 Holly View WayLike-new 3BR, 2.5BA home w/open floor plan, laminate wood floors in main living area & living rm wired for surround sound. Island in kitchen provides additional strg. Master has beautifully tiled shower w/jetted tub, double sinks & walk-in closet. Large family rm over garage could easily be used as 4th BR. $238,900

162 Harbor View DriveMeticulously maintained 3BR, 3BA home on a flat street near park. Features vaulted ceilings, gas fireplace & large skylights. Kitchen has beautifully upgraded tile backsplash, s/s appliances & hardwood floors. Family rm plus office & lovely landscaping including a small pond, stone patio, deck & fenced backyard. $275,000

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Marina ParkHuckleberry Park

Maple Leaf ParkStairway to the Dance Barn

Volunteer Projects Members have volunteered their time to make the entrance to Gate 1 more attractive. They have weeded and replanted the small gar-den area inside the guard shack and installed hanging flower baskets. They have taken on the responsibil-ity to water the plants and baskets regularly and continue to maintain the area.

New Community Facilities A new school bus shelter has been installed at a bus stop oppo-

site Gate 1. As well as offering pro-tection from the rain, solar panels on top will provide light when the days get shorter. It is ADA compli-ant with a handicap ramp and a hand rail. Several more shelters will be built in the future.

Parks and Playgrounds – Before and After Photos


Views• The Sudden Valley Views welcomes letters to the editor on topics of current news interest up to six times per calendar year • Letters of up to 350 words are allowed. • The editor will edit for style and libel.

SV ViewsP.O. Box 153Lynden, WA 98264fax to: (360) 354-4445e-mail: [email protected] drop off at SVCA admin office

SUBMISSIONS POLICY

The deadline for all display and clas-sified advertising and new items for the July 2015 issue is June 19 at noon. — For display advertising, contact Mitze Kester, 354-4444.

DEADLINES

BOARD OF DIRECTORSPresident, Larry Brown; Vice President: Carol Bauman; Treasurer, Carol Houlton; Sec-retary, Leslie McRoberts ([email protected]); Members: Mike D’Angelo,

Nick Flacco, David Narsico, Samantha Rorabaugh, Grace Shaffner; ACC Representa-tive, Jo Jean Kos; N&E Representative, Georgia Allen

Sudden Valley ViewS is the official publication of the Sudden Valley Community Association. Published monthly, it has a circulation of 3,000.

Publisher: Sudden Valley Community AssociationExecutive Editor: Lynden Tribune and Print Company

Managing Editor: Brent Lindquist, 360-354-4444, [email protected] Manager: Mitze Kester 360-354-4444, [email protected]

The Views is published monthly for a subscription price of $24 per year by the Sudden Valley Community Association. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes (Form No. 3579) to Sudden Valley Community Association, 4 Clubhouse Circle, Bellingham, WA 98229. The acceptance of an ad in the Views does not constitute approval of the Sudden Valley Community Association. Comments expressed in the Views are not necessar-ily the opinions of the SVCA, its officers or Board of Directors, but are solely those of the writers. No non-advertising portion of the Views is subject to pre-publication review by anyone but the editor.


Sudden Valley ViewS

Sudden Valley Community Association4 Clubhouse Circle, Bellingham, WA 98229

www.suddenvalley.com

Administration Offices: 734-6430Hours: 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through FridayManaging Director: Mitch Waterman, [email protected], Ext. 321HR/Admin. Mgr: Lisa Letchworth, [email protected], Ext. 311Admin Specialist: Brittany Melo, Nikki Roosma, [email protected], Ext. 204ACC Coordinator: Carroll Ballard, [email protected], Ext. 302Receptionist/Marina Coordinator: TBD, [email protected], Ext. 200Accounting Manager: Jennifer Spidle, [email protected], Ext. 214Accounts Receivable: Gil Martinez, [email protected], Ext. 214Accounts Payable: Ginny Norman, [email protected], Ext. 215Collections Coordinator: Robyn Scott, [email protected], Ext. 243Maintenance Manager: Robert Arden, [email protected], Ext. 1-808-285-9989Director of Golf: Brian Kruhlak, [email protected], Ext. 332Golf Maintenance Supt.: Jacob Close, [email protected], Ext. 360-746-8440Security/Compliance Coordinator: Norm Smith, [email protected], Ext. 217 or 360-319-8200

OPINION

The Fire PlugRemember dog etiquette

It’s a good time of year again to remind all Sudden Valley residents of two good dog etiquette practices.

1. We need to keep our dogs on leashes at all times while outdoors. According to the SVHA, all dogs need to be leashed in Sudden Valley any time they are outdoors and in a public area. We might think our unleashed dog is perfectly safe. But if our dog is unleashed and rushes at someone or at another dog, then that person or animal does not know she’s actually a friendly dog, and all sorts of trouble can occur. Dogs need to be leashed at every Sud-den Valley park, including on the Lake Louise Trail. Remember that no dogs are allowed at the AM or PM Beaches. And no dogs are allowed on the long nar-row spit area next to the Marina. Let’s respect this policy! Our dogs can only be unleashed at the big grassy area next to the Marina, which is marked as the off-leash dog area. We do not want to lose this incredible privilege!

2. Let’s pick up our dog’s messes. This one’s pretty simple, but you’d be surprised at how often it isn’t followed. Thank you, fellow dog owners, for help-ing spread the word. If you see an unleashed dog, or a dog owner not picking up a dog’s mess, feel free to remind the dog’s owner, or to call security. Thank you.

— Kylee Taylor

LETTERS

May Has Already Brought High TemperaturesBy John B. Parks Fire Commissioner Position Four South Whatcom Regional Fire Authority

Wow! Mid May and the temperature on my deck is 81 degrees, snow pack in the Cascades is the lowest it has been in my memory and rain is coming in spurts and drizzles. It would appears that we are in store for one of the longest, hot-test, dryest summers we have ever expe-rienced in our state. As of May 15th the Washington State Department of Ecology drought declara-tion map has turned fully red state wide which prompted Gov Jay Inslee on May 15, 2015, to declare a statewide drought emergency. The declaration comes after the governor’s Emergency Water Execu-tive Committee determined that 48 of 62 watersheds in Washington have wa-ter supplies of 75 percent of normal or below, and water users are experienc-ing hardships from water shortages

or are expected to experience hard-ships. Washington has been in a snowpack drought since the gover-nor’s first drought declaration on March 13 for the Yakima and Walla Walla basins and the Dungeness basin on the Olym-pic Peninsula. Snowpack statewide is currently at 15 percent of normal, ten percent lower than when the last statewide drought was declared in Washington in 2005. Snowpack is like a frozen reservoir for river basins, in a typical year accumu-lating over the winter and slowly melting through the spring and summer provid-ing a water supply for rivers and streams. This year run-off from snowmelt for the period April through September is pro-jected to be the lowest on record in the past 64 years. With this knowledge one cannot help but feel some responsibility to do what one can to avoid wasting our precious natural resources by observing a couple of very simple Do’s and Don’ts. • Americans now use 127 percent more water than we did in 1950 • About 95 percent of the water en-tering our homes goes down the drain • Running the tap while brushing your teeth can waste 4 gallons of water • Older toilets can use 3 gallons of clean water with every flush, while new

toilets use as little as 1 gallon • Leaky faucets that drip at the rate of one drop per second can waste up to 2,700 gallons of water each year • A garden hose or sprinkler can use almost as much water in an hour as an average family of four uses in one day • A water-efficient dishwasher will use as little as 4 gallons per wash cycle, whereas some older models use up to 13 gallons per cycle • Some experts estimate that more than 50 percent of landscape water use goes to waste due to evaporation or run-off caused by over-watering • Many people in the world exist on 3 gallons of water per day or less. We can use that amount in one flush of the toilet • Over a quarter of all the clean, drinkable water you use in your home is used to flush the toilets, my niece has a sign over the toilet that sim-ply says “if it’s yellow let it mellow, if it’s brown flush it down.” And I will leave you with that pearl of wisdom! The next commissioner’s meetings are June 11th and July 9th 2015 at 3:00 PM at Geneva station. As Sudden Valleys Fire Commis-sioner, I invite you to visit our public website at www.swrfa.org and become a part of the SWRFA family.

By Owen Bamford Special to the Views

Under Lenny Angello’s tuition, seven more aspiring ham radio operators studied for six evenings, passed the test for a techni-cian grade license, and now have their own FCC-issued call signs. You could, too. But why would you want to do that? There are many reasons to become a ham radio operator. You can learn to bounce signals off the moon, and impress your friends by dropping terms like “sporadic E propagation” and “knife-edge diffraction” into casual conversation. You can compete for the maximum number of stations con-tacted in a given time, or just chat for free to any other operator in the world, using sat-ellites or the ionosphere to bounce signals over the horizon, or run communications at outdoor events, or talk to astronauts on the space station.

But ham radio is not just a fun hobby for the tech nerd. It could be the only working communication channel after a major di-saster. Cell phone networks would be over-whelmed. Internet access would likely be down, and in any case electrical power would be out. FRS radios ( the little hand-held de-vices you buy in stores) just don’t work over any distance, particularly with trees and hills in the way. But if you are an operator with a battery-powered ham radio, you could com-municate with others in the area, and via re-peaters with outside networks. You can call for help, and report on damage and casual-ties, and find out where aid centers are open. So it’s important for Sudden Valley to have as many active licensed operators as possible. If you are interested in training for a license, or just want to know more, contact Lenny ([email protected]) or show up at a radio club meeting at the fire station , at 6:30 on the first Monday of each month.

More hams in Sudden Valley

The class proudly holds their new certificates. Left to right: Bill Rad-nock, Lenny Angello, Bev Dawkins, Roger Dawkins, Owen Bamford, Norm Smith, Grace Shaffner, Penny Bamford. Bill is holding two cer-tificates because he also passed the General test.


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Works by Alma Alexander, Mat Hudson among recommendationsBy Nicole Chiarella Special to the Views

A Series Overview: The Were Chronicles by Alma Alexander As if being a teenager isn’t enough of a drag, Jazz and Mal-colm Marshall also have to con-tend with something far trick-ier-- family secrets. First off, the Marshall family turns into animals during the full moon. Second, Celia is dead. The Were Chronicles is a riveting YA series that explores the dark secrets of a Were-fam-ily, who have the ability to shift into random animals at the full moon. Through Alma’s character development and staggering knowledge of the young adult brain, we get to know an ener-gizing cast and understand just how deep loyalty and politics lie in the world of Were’s. The se-ries is fast paced, full of action-packed conflict and intrigue. Each answered question poses a new threat, and will leave readers wanting more. The young and vibrant cast

were really what drew me in. While the characters do con-form to certain stereotypes, Alma gives them life and com-plexity beyond their years. Jazz, the overprotected little sister, Malcolm, the brooding mid-dle child, and Celia, the first-born golden girl. A particular standout was Chalky, a young hacker who plays a pivotal role in bringing to light dangerous and unconstitutional horrors inflicted on the Were society by government and special in-terests. The novel works with age-old issues of prejudice and discrimination. Social justice

Help wanted with emergency planningBy Owen Bamford Special to the Views

The Emergency Prepared-ness Committee has the job of preparing Sudden Valley for any emergencies that might occur. This is a daunting task. It entails educating and inform-ing the community of possible adverse conditions and advising useful actions. (A good start on this would be reading the “Emer-gency Preparedness Guide” pub-lished by Washington State Emer-gency Management and available from DEM, 3888 Sound Way Bellingham. It has step-by-step instructions and links to stream-ing videos.) It also entails making a plan for preserving the health and property of the Sudden Val-ley population. A plan was made when SV was a community of summer cottages and retirement homes.

It needs an update and rewrite to be both comprehensive and compatible with county, state and federal plans. It also needs a writer capable of clear technical writing. Are you able and willing to help with this planning? If you are, contact Norm Smith at [email protected] or call 360-734-6430 ext 217.

Book Reviews: Local Author Edition

for minorities and the disabled are heavy themes that are in-troduced in an interesting and thought-provoking way. Suggested for readers look-ing for something meaty, but fun. Some highlights, for me at least, were the rich historical context and the dedication to accurate scientific processes.As a past researcher, I appreciated the effort taken to support the science. The Were Chronicles is an awesome blend of sci-fi and fantasy. While the themes, lan-guage, and audience is definite-ly geared to a young adult audi-ence, anyone with a fascination with genetics, the paranormal, or both could find this book en-joyable. About the Author: I love to build worlds and spin dreams like the Fates spin lives. I blog to share my eclectic interests — books and writing, travels on earth and in space, puns, animals, photography, the envi-ronment …. For more information, visit almaalexander.org. As a special bonus, Alma is offering a local

readers 30% off discount. Email a l m a a l e x a n [email protected] for details.

Hazel by Mat Hudson Mat Hud-son steps onto the scene with his first novel, a quirky and fun Middle Grade story, Hazel. Hazel is a 12 year old docu-mentarian, ad-opted daughter of two gas sta-tion owners, one of which moonlights as an inventor. Af-ter the discov-ery of an eerie treasure map, Hazel, her older brother Hank, and friends go on an adventure not quite like anything you’ve ever read before. Hazel features some great imagery. We’re talking about old western dinosaur themes parks, for crying out loud! Rides such as the Dilophosaurus Shoot-Out, Ankylosaurus Mines, and the Pterodactyl tram are en-tertaining as stand alones, and woven together create a layered and stylistic plot that will entice young readers and anyone who enjoys breakfast food. The book is scary in a new way that I haven’t seen in a mid-dle grade novel, and I’m excited to see where the story goes. Hudson plans on releasing 4 novels total for this series, and I have to say: I’m hooked. While the book didn’t end on a de-

finitive cliffhanger, I’ve got the thirst for the next installment. My two favorite aspects of the novels were the high quot-ability, and illustrations. Early on in the novel, Hazel’s mother says, “I invent things. Just be-cause I don’t often get paid, and I run the gas station, doesn’t make me any less of an inven-tor [sic]” This powerful quote is something I love to see in any novel, and is especially sa-lient in children’s lit. These are formative years! Giving chil-dren a wider perspective on the importance of purpose is something is really important. I’m glad Hudson’s contribution paid homage to the importance of creativity. To contact Mat Hudson, email [email protected].

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By Carol Houlton SVCA Treasurer

Our unaudited 2015 first quarter reports are posted in this month’s Views by our Accounting Manager, Jennifer Spidle. While this presents us with good informa-tion, there is always a story behind the numbers. Though we show a net income of $156k we should not get too comfortable that this will be our trend throughout the year as some sources of income are due in the first quarter of the new year. Our reserve funds for construc-tion and roads usually stay some-what stable until the first of June. We will see more activity in those

accounts once we begin construc-tion projects. We are also delaying larger projects for the time being. Accounts Receivable shows a negative number because some of our members pay their dues in ad-vance but we only post dues in the month they are actually billed. As a result, this account will become a positive number as the year pro-gresses. The amount posted for dues income may not represent an average for the same reason. Other income streams such as Golf and Marina are also seasonal. The same will be true for ex-penses. Payroll, Administrative and Depreciation may stay somewhat stable, while maintenance and

tacted our auditors with a rec-ommended process for making the corrections and bringing the accounts current. The audi-tors have approved the process of correction and will review it in detail during the audit. The audit will affirm our identifica-tion of the issue and mitigative actions. The acting Accounting Manger was required to provide a quarterly report in the Febru-ary 2015 Views. The preliminary, unaudited, financial statements were based on the misreported transactions of EMB. Given the impact of the er-rors, our next publication of the 2014 financial statements will be the audited 2014 financials. The audit of 2014 is scheduled to begin mid-June. It is has been a painstaking process to review all of the 2014 postings. This process and the audit will serve as an independent verification of the status of our accounts. This painstaking process was further compounded when EMB/ Associa unilaterally ter-minated our C3 access on Janu-ary 8, 2015 breaching the Terms and Conditions of our Release and Settlement Agreement.

The no-notice breach to our ac-counting software eliminated our ability to download a proof set of our account structure and balances. Our legal counsel has requested the proof set of docu-ments we are due. Moving forward, we are creating a bottom’s up estimate of what it really costs to man-age, run, and maintain the Sud-den Valley Community Asso-ciation. Such an assessment has not been created, or followed up on, in a number of years. To put in perspective, SVCA was incorporated in 1973. That means that most of the roads, buildings, and outside struc-tures are also over 40 years old. They are in need of repair after all this time (just think about it, how long is your roof good for?, 30 years?). In order to protect our investment we are creat-ing a maintenance plan for the entire facility, including build-ings, beaches, roads, culverts, parks, other outside structures, and the marina. We are looking forward to establishing what it really costs to restore Sudden Valley to its former luster and maintain that shine.

Continued from page 1

Finances

Treasurer’s Reportlandscaping will vary with the sea-sons. Overall this will be an expen-sive year. Extensive accounting work was needed to repair numer-ous posting errors created by our former management company, and the work is still in progress. Our audit will cost a bit more to ensure we have made all the appropriate adjustments. We are also focus-ing our efforts on many areas that are in a state of disrepair or neglect such as buildings, parks, the pool, etc. Some need immediate atten-tion, others can be scheduled to ad-dress over time. Read what is being done to raise the bar, to protect and beautify our community, in Mitch Waterman’s article entitled, Manag-ing Director’s Report. We will be dis-cussing these activities and ongoing strategies in more detail during the next several months. We welcome all owners to at-tend the Finance Committee meet-ings and Board meetings for more information and to share your ideas. Also watch for the dates of the town halls prior to the Annual General Meeting to hear more details about our finances and plans for the fu-ture. You may also want to be in-volved in the Long-Range Planning Committee. Apply online under committees or call the Admin Of-fice. We need and value your input. *For an update on our 2014 fi-nancials, please read this month’s article by Jennifer Spidle, Why are 2014 Financial Reports Delayed?

Continued from page 1

Boardcommunity, and it communi-cates good qualities of Sudden Valley.” Board member Nick Flacco said he thought the decision was good for the valley but also that he did not like the proce-dure, or lack thereof, that was followed. Brown agreed that while he believes that the general man-ager should have the power to make decisions such as this one, he would like to be told when the decisions are made. The Board concluded its May 28 meeting with a discus-sion about Board members at-tending the public meetings around the county. The discus-sion came up because Brown had attended 2015 Whatcom County Charter Review Com-

mission meetings out of per-sonal interest and had spoken up when a proposal came up that could potentially have been harmful to Sudden Valley as an entity. He was later quot-ed elsewhere. “We are attending these meetings,” Board member Les-lie McRoberts said. “I want to make sure that the board is aware that we are attending these meetings, and I think that the persons who are attending these meetings ought to be re-porting back to us.” The Board agreed that any members who attend other meetings should forward the minutes of those meetings on to the other SVCA Board mem-bers.

For more information go to WWW.SUDDENVALLEY.COM


Lots of Maintenance Operations Going On Around the ValleyBy Mitch Waterman SVCA Managing Director

You might be seeing main-tenance operations throughout our valley lately and thought, wow, overdue and glad to see it. That’s how the Board felt when they provided a mandate to SVCA Management to bring the luster back to our emerald shine. Our Parks and Trails, long left to meager support, or ten-der care from local residents, are being groomed and landscaped. Sudden Valley’s 16 parks, 6 gate entrances, 11 cluster mail box sites, and common grounds around our facilities are now on a schedule for mowing, trim-ming, fertilizing, weed control, shrubbery trimming and prun-ing. Our playgrounds are re-ceiving maintenance and care as well, with plans to upgrade 1 playground each year going for-ward. There’s a big backlog, and it is being taken back more each week. Our desire is to work with the nine Sudden Valley condo-minium associations to merge the work together next year, mutually lower our costs, and increase the maintenance to a higher standard. Sudden Valley Mainte-nance began trimming trees over roads and drains at the beginning of the 2nd quarter. This is structured as an annual 2nd quarter maintenance effort each year. This work has not happened as a scheduled main-tenance function for more than a decade. The team has broken down this work into zones and will post their schedule on the web in advance of the work each week. Please watch for sched-ules. The task is so monumental we do not expect to trim all the trees and shrubs throughout 55 miles of roads in SV on our first year. In addition to trimming trees the team is removing fallen trees, branches, and clearing dead shrub 10’ back from road edge, and will chip and dispose of the materials. As we advance into the year our maintenance crews work scope will transition from tree/ shrub clearing to clearing our storm drains and culverts. This too is a structured maintenance plan scheduled for annual 3rd quarter maintenance effort each year. This effort clears ex-isting rain water conveyances (culverts, drains, open ditches, under driveway culverts) to ef-fectively allow rain water to smoothly flow out throughout Sudden Valley. This pre-emp-tive maintenance work reduces damage to homes from flood-ing caused by clogged drainage pathways. Work prioritization and scheduling is a flow down from the Storm Water Capital Asset Improvement Plan. We have 280 culverts, approx. 55 miles of open drains, and an ad-ditional estimated 2,000 culverts under driveways, all of which clog and then back up water to homes and roads. Our Marina is also receiving some maintenance work scrap-ing gravel and filling in potholes.

Managing Director’s ReportI regret to say the Shoreline Per-mit we have did not include use of “fines” (small crushable ma-terial that is compactable) so this year’s work will only patch, not repair. We will submit a new Shoreline Permit for FY2016 that will address the bigger picture and provide greater depth of re-pair and service. We are evaluating our dock and moorage site to determine the depth of repair and revital-ization required to bring the Marina into sustainable and maintainable condition. Sad to report our Marina has suffered from inattention to the moorage docks, speed and zone marking buoys and visitor docking tie points for boats. Our beaches need some help, we may need to dredge again soon, and our visitor dock is in sad shape. Our staff is assembling a 3 year plan to bring the Marina into a Pride of Ownership condition, and have started efforts this year. Boat dry slips are poorly marked, and lane markers do not exist; we will rectify that this year. Gate access and boat launch access systems are being replaced as we type, and are due to be complete end of July. Starting this last January 1st we outsourced Security, in-creased staff placing 5 Security Officers patrolling Sudden Val-ley each 24 hour period. The of-ficers are required to be on every street each day. They are highly trained, extremely customer service minded, and responsive. Contracting with Pacific Securi-ty has provided us with flexibil-ity we have not previously been afforded, and our relationship with both the County Sherriff’s Department and Department of Natural Resources has been amazing since the change. Our Administration be-gan marketing Sudden Valley this year. We initiated large scale marketing and advertis-ing showcasing Sudden Valley’s natural beauty, quality of living and the assets of our commu-nity. Home sales are rising and visitors are increasing. To sustain our community in the event of a natural disaster the Board of Director’s is evalu-ating having Sudden Valley join the Department of Emergency Management. Should Sudden Valley join the County Emer-gency Management Council we would receive material support and assistance in preparing our community to respond, oper-

ate, and easily reconstitute from a natural or manmade disaster. We now have Community Emer-gency Response Teams (CERT) trained in our community, and are always looking for more volunteers. Having CERT is a requirement for membership which allows SVCA to access the Federal Property Excess List to obtain material supplies at cost for transport. In just the past 5 months since we have transitioned from EMB to our current Interim self-managed status we have encountered numerous fail-ure points and sins-of-the-past problems that we stood up, an-nounced, and have corrected. How we got there isn’t the issue, it’s how we are going to recover, repair, and not duplicate. Our Accounting Depart-ment lacked easily understood and actionable financial tools to enable simple and effective reporting. We will have this re-solved by end of July. Sudden Valley does not have a maintenance plan for its facilities. We are establishing fa-cility maintenance plans (by fa-cility and quarter) for each facil-ity, including seasonal start up/shut down (Fire Alarm/ Safety, HVAC, Paint, flooring, roofing, electrical, carpentry, etc.) so we can sustain what we have with-out running everything to fail-ure. The YMCA pool start up/shut down required extensive pool repairs (new heater coils, repair of pumps and piping). These have been replaced and repaired without the use of chewing gum and bailing wire. Upon the end of this season, funds will be requested for a full maintenance refurbishment ef-fort of the pump and filter sys-tem including resealing of the pump pit, replacement of rust-ing couplings, and replacement of damaged piping. We own a fleet of vehicles. Preventative maintenance had not been regularly scheduled or performed on our fleet of cars, trucks, and rolling assets; they were being operated on “run till fail” or “repair at failure”. This practice changed starting Janu-ary 1st. At the Jan. 1, 2015 transi-tion, we instituted a BOD ap-proved organizational change that redefined how the Associa-tion is staffed and managed. All positions have specific job roles, accountabilities with responsi-

bilities and deliverables, higher level roles have commensurate demands for higher qualifica-tions (skills, knowledge and abilities). Obtaining that level of employee required SVCA to offer a competitive total com-pensation packages to hire and retain a higher quality Manage-ment and Operations Team. We have added a Collec-tions position, Safety Security Compliance Coordinator, Fa-cilities and Site Coordinator, a third admin staff, 2 part time seasonal staff for Parks and Common Grounds, increased the Administrative Services Manager position adding re-quired HR Qualifications; eliminated both CES in-house positions, and added an ACC Admin. Our new Maintenance Supervisor is a working lead in the field and comes to us from the U.S. Army where he was Warrior Leadership trained as a leader. We have not changed staffing in our Golf Enterprise. We did eliminate in-house se-curity and custodial services transferring those responsi-bilities to trained and qualified outsourced support. As for our employees’ working environment, our staff had insufficient Personal Pro-tective Equipment to safely perform their assignments, did not have First Aid/CPR train-ing for employees. Safety shoes were either completely absent or worn out without tread, work gloves, consistent and quality eye and hearing protection was less than poor, and fall protec-tion training lacked. Office and computer intensive positions lacked computer keyboard trays and ergonomic chairs. All of this has been corrected. Contracts have been issued under Sudden Valley’s name were opened without owner-ship by named staff who were accountable for the expenditure of funds or accountability of purchases and not all contract deliverables were specified. Since January 1, a compiled list of all contracts was made and evaluated. Some were closed; all existing contracts have now been assigned to an account-able employee. Service con-tracts were evaluated for need, essential contracts are undergo-ing re-bid (scope, service cost, schedule, deliverable) and will

be awarded by best value to the Association. An example of the contract problem was discovery of a $3,000 bill for Yellow Pages advertising that had remained unpaid since2012. New signage for both traf-fic and safety are being put into place. Signage throughout the valley properly showing speed limits, caution, stop signs, no parking, etc. had been neglect-ed. Missing signs are being re-placed, the amount of signs re-quired for consistency are being installed, directional striping on streets and parking lots are be-ing re-applied, or installed for the first time. With all of that, we com-pleted the revitalization of the Administration/Club House Building on budget and it looks beautiful. Our first new school Bus Stop, opposite the Gate 1 entrance has been installed. The 1st phase of rebuilding our AM/PM and Marina Shelters was on budget and schedule. The contractor comes back on June 1st to jack out the concrete and repair the fireplaces to fin-ish the projects. They will be ready for use by July 4th. The shelter projects were also done on budget and on schedule. We believe our commu-nity is a beautiful place and our membership should expect it to be operated professionally and well maintained with an eye on long term stewardship and sparkling with pride of owner-ship. Our goal: Point with Pride, we live here!

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Golf Course Not Exempt From RequirementsBy Leslie McRoberts Communications Committee

SVCA Fertilizer Practices Acting as good stewards of Lake Whatcom, which is the drinking water source for over 100,000 people in Whatcom County, Sudden Valley has been using a phosphorus free fertilizer blend for many years. This fertil-izer, known as the Lake Whatcom Blend, has been available since 2005. When used as directed on

the label, this product is non-toxic. At the recommended level at which it has been applied at the Marina and other locations in Sudden Valley, it is not harmful to children or pets. Our staff took a close look at the Material Safety Data Sheet, aka the MSDS, of the fertilizer used in Sudden Valley’s public areas. Maintenance staff spread seven (7) 50lb bags of fertil-izer over 140,000 square feet at the Marina. If you consider that there are 454 grams in a pound, it figures out to approximately 1.13 grams of fertilizer per square foot. And when you recognize that only 20% of the total fertiliz-er is urea, you see that this comes

down to approximately .2 grams for each square foot. The MSDS also shows that the toxicity level for this manu-facturer’s urea product (average) dose for a rat is of 1,850 mg/kg. A medium sized dog would have to consume all of the fertilizer in a 16,303 square foot area in or-der to reach the average toxicity level. When researching this on Wikipedia we found our fertilizer MSDS was more conservative. In summary, we have not harmed our environment nor placed our children or pets in harm’s way, and our staff knows what it is doing technically and professionally.

Golf Course Practices The Sudden Valley Golf Course has no exemption from the landscaping requirements in the Lake Whatcom watershed. We operate under all current laws for our geographical area in rela-tion to golf courses. Pesticide and fertilizer records were last au-dited in 2012 by the Washington Department of agriculture, and they found nothing wrong with any of our applications of either fertilizer or fungicide. We do not spray insecticides at Sudden Val-ley. Rusty Sauls, with the Depart-ment of Agriculture was on site for the latest random check. We also operate under the same Phosphorous regulations

to which homeowners in the watershed are restricted. Stream testing has shown that, for ex-ample, phosphorus levels do not increase as Austin creek runs through our property. Jacob Close, the Grounds Su-perintendent, and another staff member are both certified Wash-ington state pesticide applicators for which they currently hold li-censes. Our purchases from our suppliers are monitored by the Washington Department of agri-culture. If you have any further ques-tions, please contact the Board at [email protected] or the Managing Director at 734-6430 x321.

Some Useful Summer Tips from SVCA Rules and RegulationsBy David Narsico Special to the Views

1. Member Responsibilities for General Activities:

1.4 Use of firecrackers and fire-works in general are prohibited within Sudden Valley except in areas and at times specified by SVCA.1.5 Littering in any area of Sud-den Valley is strictly prohibited.

1.6: NO OUTDOOR BURNING is allowed in Sudden Valley except as provided in 1.6.3.

1.6.3 Exceptions: The following types of outdoor burning are allowed: (a) Recreational fires with a total fuel area of less than three (3) feet in diameter and/or two (2) are permitted. 1.6.4 When a burn ban is in ef-fect in Sudden Valley no outdoor fires except properly enclosed cooking fires using gas or char-coal as fuel will be permitted. All other outdoor fires (open flame, including recreational fires as described in 1.6.3) are prohib-ited for the duration of the burn ban.(a) A burn ban will automatically go into effect in Sudden Valley if Whatcom County declares a burn ban. (b) A burn ban may be declared in Sudden Valley by the Board President or the General Manag-er if a burn ban is put into effect by Skagit County or if conditions in Sudden Valley are deemed sufficiently hazardous as to re-quire the ban. (c) The existence of the burn ban will be publicized by all available means including gate signs, web site, Sudden Valley Views and community bulletin boards. (d) A first violation of this rule will subject the violator to a fine of $250. Subsequent violations will be punishable by a fine of $500.

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A Look At The SVCA’s Fertilizer Use

1.7 Actions or activities by members (or those for whom the member is responsible), either intentionally or through negligence, which may be or may become an annoyance, nuisance or hazard to adjacent property owners or unreason-ably affect the quiet enjoyment of any individual, household or the neighborhood, are prohib-ited and subject to a Notice of Violation. 1.7.1 This shall include, but not be limited to, excessive noise, loud music, barking dogs, motor vehicle noise. It shall addition-ally include any tool, machinery or construction noise after des-ignated hours (see Section 14.7), or any other activity, which might unreasonably annoy or endanger an individual or the public. 1.7.2 Yard maintenance equip-ment may be operated Monday through Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

5.8 Adult Center Rules: 5.8.2 Breakable glass objects are strictly prohibited outside in proximity to the building and pool area specifically. 5.8.3 All swimmers must shower before entering the pool. 5.8.4 Persons having skin le-sions, sores or inflamed eyes, mouth, nose or ear discharges,

or who carry any communicable disease, shall not use the pool. 5.8.5 Urinating, expectorating, blowing the nose or depositing any foreign matter in the pool in prohibited. 5.8.6 Tobacco, food (including gum) and drinks are prohibited within ten (10) feet of the pool. 5.8.7 Appropriate swim attire is required. Cut-offs are not al-lowed in the pool. 5.8.8 No running, pushing or horseplay is allowed in the pool area. 5.8.9 Regulations necessary to advise users of safety and sani-tation restrictions will be promi-nently posted.

5.9 Adult Center Pool: Use at your own risk.

8. Lakes and Streams:8.1 Fishing is permitted only in Lake Louise and in Lake What-com, and in accordance with State regulations. 8.1.1 Stream fishing is not per-mitted in Sudden Valley. 8.1.2 All persons fifteen (15) years of age and over are re-quired to carry a valid State of Washington fishing license on their person while fishing. 8.1.3 Fish may not be cleaned in any lake, pond or stream within Sudden Valley.

8.2 Gasoline-powered motors (except for emergency equip-ment) are not permitted on Lake Louise nor inside the enclosed areas at Morning and Afternoon Beaches. 8.3 Persons under twelve (12) years of age may not use a wa-ter craft within SVCA-controlled waters unless accompanied by a responsible person over twelve (12) years of age. 8.3.1 Swimming in Lake Louise shall be at the individual’s own risk as there are neither desig-nated swimming areas nor life-guards. 8.3.2 SVCA canoes are limited to three (3) persons per canoe. 8.3.3 Life jackets must be worn by all boaters when using SVCA boats or canoes. 5. Use of Asso-ciation Property:

9. Tennis Courts: 9.1 Wearing “street shoes” is not allowed on the courts. 9.2 Glass containers are prohib-ited on the courts. 9.3 The tennis courts are to be used only to play tennis, i.e. skating, bicycles and pets are prohibited inside the tennis courts. 9.4 Spectators and persons wait-ing to play should remain out-side the fenced area. 9.5 Special events take prior-ity over general use, but only during the times posted for the event. 9.6 Playing tennis takes priority over use of the basketball back-board. 9.7 The courts may be subject to seasonal scheduling limitations through a reservation system


New Sport Launches June 6 in Sudden ValleyBy Brian Kruhlak PGA – Director of Golf

On Saturday, June 6th a new and exciting recreational opportunity will be coming to Sudden Valley. FootGolf is a new sport being played on many golf courses throughout the world and as you might as-sume, combines the sports of soccer and golf. FootGolfers kick a regular soccer ball into a large (21” in diameter) hole cut

into the ground. Like golf, the holes are designed to be par 3’s, par 4’s or par 5’s. Because the sport involves kicking a soccer ball instead of hitting a golf ball, the holes are significantly short-er, so we were able to layout 18 FootGolf holes within the front nine of our spectacular golf course. The FootGolf “greens” are set well in front of our actual golf greens so we don’t have to worry about any damage to the golf course. One of the coolest things about FootGolf is that ANY-BODY can play. Even if you’ve never kicked a soccer ball in your life, you can easily play a round of FootGolf. It is a great

family activity and something that can be enjoyed by all age groups. Up to 6 players can play together in a group and it takes only about an hour and a half to play a round! Our course promises to be one of the most visually stun-ning courses anywhere as it is staged on our scenic front nine that juts out into Lake What-com. If you are a non-golfer who has been waiting for an op-portunity to spend an evening on our beautiful golf course property, you need wait no lon-ger. A fun round of FootGolf with your friends and/or fam-ily will be the perfect excuse to get out and enjoy some of

our beautiful summer weather while experiencing the exciting new sport of FootGolf! FootGolf Launch Event – On Saturday, June 6th for our in-augural day of FootGolf, we will be hosting a special event. All juniors (17 & under) will play for FREE and the El Agave restau-rant will be offering 20% off on all food in the restaurant for all FootGolf participants!! We will also have prizes for adults and juniors for lowest score, highest score, closest to the hole and for best FootGolf outfit! FootGolf will be available every Thursday and Saturday evening through September from 5:00 pm until dusk. Fees

will be $16 for adults and $12 for juniors (17 & under). Sud-den Valley property owners will pay just $14 for adults and $10 for juniors. Soccer balls will be available to rent for $3. Golf carts will also be available to rent for $15. The back nine will remain open for regular golf during the times the front nine is being used for footgolf. For more information on FootGolf in general, visit the American FootGolf Association website at www.afgl.us or for more information on Sudden Valley’s FootGolf program, call the golf shop at 360-734-6435 or go to our website at www.sud-denvalleygolfcourse.com.

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Last Meeting Set For June 8By Georgia Allen Chair, Sudden Valley Garden Club

Our May speaker – SVCA res-ident and Garden Club member Richard Darden – treated us to a motivational discussion on the benefits of composting and the value of above-ground gardens, which are especially beneficial to those of us who are “over 21” (for about the 3rd time) and can’t bend over without getting stuck in that position. He gave us tips

on a variety of topics centered on the care and maintenance of our gardens, our tools, and creative uses for repurposing objects that we might otherwise consider throwing away. Thank you, Rich-ard! Next month – June 8th – will be our last formal meeting of the year, with the 2015-2016 season resuming on September 14th. The members like to take advantage of visiting neighbor-ing nurseries in Whatcom and/or Skagit Counties during the summer months/growing sea-son. It’s a great opportunity to learn more about gardens and

Garden Club Winding Up Meetings Until Falleven buy something new and interesting for our respective gardens. On June 8th, we will wel-come SVCA Resident Ginger Smith of the Bellingham Gar-den Spot Nursery. Ginger will be highlighting what she feels

are “Sure Bets for Sudden Val-ley” and will be bringing some plants with her from the Garden Spot that will be available for purchase after her presentation. Mark this date on your calendars as well. Bring cash or checkbook

with you for this treat! You might see something you’d like to take home for your own garden! All residents are welcome and anyone wishing more Gar-den Club information, please contact me at [email protected]

By Norm Smith Special to the Views

Independence Day is rapidly approaching and that means fam-ily, food and fireworks. This article will discuss the viewing or “launch area”, and event rules for safety and security, to help make this event both enjoyable and safe. Here are the particulars for this event: • Dog Park (off leash area) – The dog park will be closed July 3rd to July 5th, to allow setting up for the event and post event clean up. Sorry, for the safety of your pet, no pets allowed during the

Fireworks Event. The dog park will be reopened on July 5th at noon.Event times – 6:00 PM till 11:45 PM • Launch Area – The area will have a physical border on the ground to show its boundary.

Safety Rules for the event • Fireworks restricted to this area • The launch area is an alco-hol free zone • Per Washington State Law, children under 16 years of age are not permitted in the active fire-works area • Traffic control; Pacific Secu-rity, Whatcom County Sheriff’s Of-

fice and Sudden Valley CERT will be providing traffic control for the event. We need to organize park-ing to allow South Whatcom Fire District and Sheriff’s office access in case of an emergency.Aerial fireworks/pyrotechnics shall be launched vertically. • Staff will monitor the area for safety. If unsafe activities are observed Staff will ask for cor-rective change. A second request followed by failure to comply will result in the person or person(s) being asked to leave the event areaBlatant safety violations; these are actions where there is a potential for injury to firework participants

and spectators. If this should oc-cur, the person or persons that are involved will be escorted out of the event area. The following Agencies will be present at the marina to pro-vide medical, safety and commu-nity assistance. • South Whatcom Fire Au-thority • Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office • Sudden Valley Commu-nity Emergency Response Team (CERT) • Pacific Security

Pacific Security will also

maintain patrol throughout the valley. Multiple members have expressed concerns/ requests to curtail firework activity in the heavily forested areas. We ask members to please make an effort to clean up after the event; there will be a vol-unteer clean up crew on the morning of July 5th, but your as-sistance in this matter is most ap-preciated. If you have any questions concerning the event, feel free to contact Norm Smith at 360-734-6430 ext. 217, or email me at [email protected].

July 4th Fireworks at the Sudden Valley Marina


calenDar For additions or changes to be consid-ered for the next edition of the Views calendar, e-mail [email protected] by the deadline printed on page 11.

SVCA CommitteesMonday:• 5:30 p.m. Communication, CC (First Monday only)• 7 p.m. Document Review, CC (Second Monday only)

Tuesday:• 8:30 a.m. Emergency Preparedness, ELA (Second Tuesday only)

Wednesday: • 6:30 p.m. Finance, MPR (first/third Wednesday only)

Thursday: • 9 a.m. ACC Meeting, ELA (first/third Thursday only)• 7 p.m. Board of Directors meeting, DB (second/fourth only)

ClubsMonday: • 10 a.m. Beg. Bridge, All bridge meetings have been moved to ELA.• 1 p.m. Needlework & Nonsense, CC• 7 p.m. Alanon, ACR

Tuesday: • 9 a.m. Tai Chi, DB• 3 p.m. Friends of South Whatcom Library meet second Tuesday every other month at 3:00 beginning Jan. LBR• 5 p.m. CTK Youth Group, DB• 6 p.m. Poker(ACR)

Wednesday: • Noon: Women’s Club, meets four times per year at El Agave on second

Wednesday of Feb. May and Sept; in Dec. at Bellingham Golf & Country Club on the second Wednesday.• 12:30 p.m. Bridge, ELA

Thursday: •9 a.m. Tai Chi, DB• 1 p.m. Social Knitting Club, CC• 1 p.m. Book Club (second only), CC• 7 p.m. AA Meeting, SR

Friday: • 9 a.m. Alanon, ACR• 1 p.m. Friday Writers (first friday only), CC• 6:30 p.m. Partner Bridge, ELA (last Friday only, requires sign up 671-9532)• 6:30 p.m. Chicago Bridge, CC (second Friday only, sign up at 671-9532)

Saturday: •Plan your social event today! All times are available.

Church Services:Sunday: • 10 a.m. Christ the King Community Church

Save the Date• Sheriff Dept. Bike Rodeo, June 13• Jazz Concert ft. Trish, Hans, and Phil, June 13

• LBR= Library, DB= Dance Barn, AC= Adult Center, ACS= Adult Center Studio, ACR= Adult Center Small Room, CC= Community Center MPR= Multi Purpose Room, AB= Admin Building. ELA=El Agave, and SR= Sunshine Room.

Weekly Events for June

CHANGES

Emergency Information System (EIS) for Sudden Valley 1610 AM

24 hours a day, 7 days a week

For weather or emergency information in Sudden Valley Updated every 24 hours or more often as needed

Tune to 1610 on your AM radio, including in your car in the event of a power outage

FOR KIDS ENTERING GRADES 1-6

Conveniently Located in the Geneva

Neighborhood! REGISTER TODAY AT FIRCREEKDAYCAMP.ORG

ARE YOU READY FOR CAMP?

You are invited to join us:Friday, June 19 - Keenan’s at the Pier, Chrysalis Inn

Friday, July 17 - JoFish, LyndenFriday, August 21 - Skylark’s Hidden Café, Fairhaven

Sudden Valley Women’s ClubLet’s Go Out-to-Lunch!

RSVP: Carolyn at714-8901 or

[email protected]

Detailed Residential Cleaning & MaintenanceGarden / Yard Clean-Up & MaintenanceProfessional Organizing / Housesitting

Packing / Moving PreparationDo you need your rental cleaned for your next tenant?

SP SERVICES

References • Reliable • Free EstimatesSudden Valley Resident

Call Shalana today! [email protected]

For more information go to

SUDDENVALLEY.COM


classiFieDs For July 2014 issue: June 19 at noon

Payment due prior to publication. Checks payable to “Sudden Valley” at SVCA administration office, Attn: Classified Ads, 4 Clubhouse Circle, Bellingham, WA 98229. Info: Call 734-6430.

SUBMISSIONS

DEADLINE

0-20 words: $15, $.55 ea. addtl. word39-40 words: $2640+ words: $26, $.55 ea. addtl. word

MEMBER RATES NON-MEMBER RATES0-20 words: $9, $.55 ea. addtl. word31-40 words: $1640+ words: $16, $.55 ea. addtl. word

serVicesRIDGEVIEW PET SITTING AND DOG TRAINING. Respon-sible, loving, experienced in-home petsitting for all pets. Also, private and group dog training classes. Linda, 595-2131. ridgeviewpetser-vices.com

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORS

Washington state law ( R C W 1 8 . 2 7 . 1 0 0 ) requires that all advertisements for construction-related services include the contractor's current Department of Labor and Industries registration number in the advertisement.

Failure to obtain a certificate of registration from L&I or show the registration number in all advertising will result in a fine up to $5000 against the unregistered contractor.

For more information, call Labor and Industries Specialty Compliance Services Division at 1-800-647-0982 or check L&I's Internet site at www.wa.gov/Ini.

Publisher’s Notice

All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin, or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination.” Familial status includes children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women and people securing custody of children under 18. This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal discrimination basis, call HUD toll-free at1-800-669-9777. The toll free telephone number for the hearing impaired is1-800-927-9275.

3 Bedroom condo near everything: Fully equipped. Deck with Lake Whatcom view. N/S N/P rates on application, dependant upon season with one month minimum. Please call 360-738-3435.

GARDENING: Pruning, plant-ing, weeding, trimming, mulching, hauling. Experienced, knowledge-able, horticulture degree. 647-1639.

serVices

Home Chores For Hire: Cleaning, laundry, windows, I do it all! Hon-est and reliable. References. Contact Jan at 360-738-3446.

real estate

PART-TIME Driver, caregiver. $20/hr (8 hrs/week) 360-734-5296.

AFFORDABLE & PROFESSION-AL tree trimming/tree removal. Kiwi Tree Services. 360-306-1737 / 206-271-6322.

Private instruction in violin, fid-dle and guitar. Jimie Gregory 360-734-5038. [email protected] cell 360-527-5146.

ULID available to complete your building plans. $2,900 Call John at 604-852-6769.

Pet serVices

Group Will Be Joined By Seattle Drummer Ken FrenchBy K C Sulkin Special to the Views

Although they’re well known in Skagit, Snohomish and King Counties, the jazz singing trio of Trish Hatley, pianist Hans Brehm-er and bassist Phil Demaree, have never played as a group in What-com County. They’ve toured the country and had gigs in New York City, Phoenix and Denver, but their one date in Whatcom County was cancelled when Trish had an appointment that could not be postponed. They are finally bring-ing their polished jazz/cabaret act to Sudden Valley on Saturday, June 13th at 3pm at the Dance Barn. For this performance, they will be joined by Seattle drum-mer, Ken French, which will allow Trish to solo on jazz standards as well as sing 3 part jazz harmony with Hans and Phil in their unique interpretations of songs from the great American songbook with some British variations (read the Beatles) thrown in. Tickets are available at Village Books, the Sudden Valley Com-munity Association Office, the Sudden Valley/YMCA Community Center and on-line at www.south-whatcomlibrary.org. For further information, call Mr. K.C. Sulkin at 360-671-1709.

First Time Home Buyer Programs

USDA Zero Down Mortgages

Military/VA Lender | Available

7 days/week

Lena Shammel, Local SV ResidentMortgage Loan Officer, NMLS# 1236038Direct: (360) [email protected] Preapprovals: www.lenashammel.com

DentalCarefor the

WholeFamily

Children deserve a wonderful dental experience. We encourage parents to

bring their children in for a visit any time after the age of one.

Your child will love it here!

Are you without health insurance? You may still be able to enroll. Call to see if you might qualify for a special enrollment.

360-527-2334 • [email protected] • www.hicllc.net

Specializing in:• Group and Individual Medical Insurance

• Medicare Health Plans• Washington Healthplanfinder Registered

• Dental • VisionChristina MillerLicensed Agent

Group of Health Insurance Services, LLCYour Local Health Insurance Consultants

Cheryl MizenOwner/Broker

AA Right Tree Service

• Take Down & LimbingSteve Kure

(360) 733-0648

AA RightLock Service

Serving Sudden Valley for 30 years. Cont. # AARIG**O66BD

• Re-Key

• Lock-Outs

• Keys by Code

• Lost Keys made

• Post Office Box Lock Replacements

REMODELING • RENOVATIONS • DECKS MacDonald CONSTRUCTION

Bonded & Insured360-647-8203 • 360-441-5467

Lic# MACDOC*998MB

FREE EstimatesServing Sudden Valley for 25 years

Check out our website at suddenvalleycontractors.com

Trish, Hans And Phil Make Whatcom County Debut At Sudden Valley

Tree pruning/hazard tree remov-al. Certified arborist. Climbing branch and brush removal. Fire safety. Ethan Tucker Tree Care (260) 298-0903 Licensed, bonded, insured. Cont.$ETHANTT907N7

I am currently offering special $10.00 introductory sessions to local women who might benefit from Reiki healing. Reiki is an energy treatment that addresses negative/blocked energy and pain at the emotional, physical and spiritual levels. I am a Sudden Valley resident, professional coun-selor and Reiki Energy Master. I work out of my home and will do home visits when required. My cli-ents are primarily women, many of htem struggling with chronic health and emotional issues and stress. I have good references and testimonials. Please call or e-mail for more information: Heather Stern at 360-715-1949 or [email protected].

serVices

Go to WWW.SUDDENVALLEY.COM to stay informed!


Y swim programs offer a mix of fun, physical activity and safetyBy Tish O’Keefe Whatcom Family YMCA

As swim season approaches, the Whatcom Family YMCA en-courages children and parents in Whatcom County to explore the many benefits of swimming, while also keeping safety top of mind. In the Y’s swim programs, participants can enjoy water sports, enhance or learn new techniques, meet new friends and develop confidence, while also learning safety skills that can save lives. “Water safety and swim-ming are important life skills in the growth and development of all children,” said Tish O’Keefe, Aquatic Director of the Whatcom Family YMCAs. “All children de-serve access to water safety re-sources that not only could save their lives, but enrich them with an outlet for fun, healthy activ-ity.” As part of National Wa-ter Safety, the Whatcom Fam-ily YMCA encourages parents to take an active role in their child’s safety. Following are safety tips to practice when in and around the water: • Only swim when and where there is a lifeguard on duty; never swim alone. • Adults should constantly and actively watch their children. • Inexperienced or non-swimmers should wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket. • Parents or guardians of young children should be within an arm’s reach. • Children and adults should not engage in breath holding ac-tivities.

In addition to learning life-

saving water safety skills, chil-dren can increase their physical activity by swimming. Swimming also motivates children to strive for self-improvement, teaches goal orientation, and cultivates a positive mental attitude and high self-esteem. It also teaches life lessons of sport and sportsman-ship, so that children can learn

how to work well with team-mates and coaches and how to deal with winning and losing. As a leading nonprofit com-mitted to youth development, the Y has been a leader in pro-viding swim lessons and water safety for more than 100 years. The Whatcom Family YMCA con-tinues to help youth and adults

experience the joy and benefits of swimming, so they can be healthy, confident and secure in the water. There are a variety of programs to choose, including family swim, competitive swim-ming, swim lessons, water fit-ness, underwater hockey, and more! To ensure that everyone has

an opportunity to participate, fi-nancial assistance is available to those in need to help cover the costs. To learn more about the Whatcom Family YMCA’s swim programs, please contact Tish O’Keefe at 360-733-8630, Ext. 122, [email protected].

The Whatcom Family YMCA Wants All Kids in Whatcom County to be Safe around the Water

INCREDIBLE VALUESerene loft condo on the 18th hole of the Sudden Valley Golf Course, close to all Sudden Valley amenities. Perfect weekend get-away, rental or full-time residence. Private deck and storage unit. Newer appliances, including front loading washer & dryer. Close to bus line. $87,900

45.93 ACRESSouthwest corner of Birch Bay-Lynden Road & Kickerville Road in the Cherry Point Refinery area of Ferndale in Whatcom County, WA. Property has about 2300+ feet of frontage on Birch Bay-Lynden Road, 650+ on Kickerville Road. Parcel may be for future subdivision. $389,000

LARGE FAMILY HOMELarge 4 bedroom, 2 bath home with formal living room/dining room, large kitchen, two wood-burning fireplaces, natural gas, new furnace & hot water tank. In quiet neighborhood. $239,000

SUNNY LEVEL LOTWell-designed 3 BD, 2.5 BA home that backs up to a sm park. Lg mstr suite on main lvl, jetted tub, separate shower, 2 sinks. Kitchen opens to vaulted LR/DR w/hardwood flrs, sliders to deck. 2 BD downstairs, laundry room, media/family room that opens to lower deck. $285,000

SOUTH SIDE STUDIO CONDOBeautiful top floor sunny studio condo with lovely mountain views from covered balcony. Prime south side location close to WWU. High quality finishes, including tile entry, stainless appliances, W/D. $99,000

LAKE WHATCOM VIEW LOTGate 1 upsloping lot, a block from North Point Park and with waterfront access. The lot comes fully serviced with water, sewer, electricity, cable and natural gas just to hook up. It’s priced to sell. Great investment. $49,000

BEST BUY IN SUDDEN VALLEY3 bedroom, 2.5 bath home on a low maintenance lot with mountain views. New roof, paint and carpet in 2009. This home is in a quiet and peaceful area and features a daylight basement, skylights in the living room and a 2-car garage. $169,900

360-733-3700

BUYING OR SELLING YOUR PROPERTY?COME TO OUR SUDDEN VALLEY OFFICE!

1850 Lake Whatcom Blvd.Bellingham, WA 98229

www.sunmarkproperties.comemail: [email protected]

John KelleherRealtor

Eleanor ReimerBroker/Realtor

Beverly ThompsonRealtor

Azam NaderProperty Manager/Realtor

47 Valley Crest Way ........................ $8,900 3 Southern Ct ................................ $23,4002 Shetland .................................... $30,00037 North Point ............................... $49,000

6 Cayuse Ct .................................. $54,90014 Woodpecker Pl ......................... $64,5001 Indian Ridge. .............................. $64,900

SUDDEN VALLEY LOTS

TRUST YOUR LOCAL SALES OFFICE!

AWESOME LOCATIONRental opportunity or first time home buyer. Close to I-5 & within walking distance to Farmers Co-op. 4 bd, 1.75 ba home w/ new flooring & fresh paint. Wood burning fireplace. Large backyard & back deck. Dead-end street connects to walking trail. $259,000

PENDINGPENDING

PRICE REDUCED

NEW LISTING!

Eric ErbRealtor

GOLF COURSE CONDOYour opportunity to live in a highly desired end unit with private deck overlooking the golf course. New laminate floors, new vinyl windows, new paint, washer and dryer. $69,900

Sun-Mark PropertiesRENTAL DEPARTMENT

360-733-3700 or FAX: 360-647-6028

WE NEED RENTALS!We have applicants on file,

so please give us a call.

SUDDEN VALLEY HOUSES & CONDOS9 Maple Court: 2 bdrm, 1 bath chalet-style home. Huge crawl space for good storage/shop or to expand onto. Home feels very private. Wood fireplace on brick hearth heats home efficiently. Rent $1000 Deposit $1000

8 Sundew Court: 2 bdrm, 2 bath home with large downstairs family room that could be an extra bedroom. 2 decks, wood stove, jetted tub, very private. Rent $1200 Deposit $1200

VACATION RENTAL16 Night Hawk Circle: Amazing Lake Louise waterfront vacation rental home. En-suite master, queen bed, 2 twin beds and large couch in den. High-end finishes, two flat screen TVs and beautiful views from every room. Rent $1600 per week

Documents

June 2015 SVCA NEWS COMMUNITY Cub Scout …suddenvalley.com/wp-content/uploads/6.15_SVViews.pdf · On May 21, Pack 19 Cub Scouts conducted a service project to show ... Bike Rodeo