Hello Ladies!
Hope you are all well and enjoying the last days of Summer. Fall days are ahead soon with some cooler weather. Great time to get out there and clean up our yards, plant some plants that are better suited for this time of year, and bulbs soon!
Our September picnic meeting at Jenkinson Lake was a beautiful day, minus the yellow jackets! We had 15 members in attendance with 2 guests, Linda Heard and Nancy Picchi. Nancy will be joining our club! Yeah!!
Special Sunshine goes out to Janet Sullivan’s husband Tom with some health issues (see minutes), and Jan Slominski who had 2 surgeries in a week. A special THANK YOU goes out to those members who provided her and Mike dinners for the last 2 weeks. YUMMMM. Thank you Carol for organizing the dinner nights.
Birthday ladies this month are Doris Morley, Judith Jordan, Pat Scoggins and guest Nancy Picchi’s birthday was the day of the meeting. Happy Birthday Ladies!! Lunch was held at the Buttercup Pantry last Wednesday.
Judy Morgan Park was cleaned last Saturday the 9th . Thank you to Pat Schoggins, Becky Lamoly and Marilyn Johnson who helped. Someone had raked most of the park just a few days before and had stacked fallen branches. Thank you to whomever did this!! We cleaned up the piles of pine needles and branches, raked some more, cleaned out the parking lot curb area of debris, blew off the walkway and emptied the trash can. The next 2 clean up days are on Saturdays of October 14th & November 11th. If you would like to help let me know. We also need a team lead for October 14th as I will not be in town.
The last few months on the meeting agendas as well as an email out to members has been the topic of how we will distribute the funds from our fundraisers held this year. Community Contributions are given to our local non profit groups that support our community on a daily basis. Current recipients and those recommended by members at the meetings and thru email are listed in the minutes of our September meeting, included below in this email. Feel free to email me any additional suggestions you may have.
October will be the last month for nominations for our 2024 Board of Directors. Elections will be held at our November 1 Potluck meeting. Currently we have volunteers for Secretary, Debbie Hurst and Treasurer, Theresa Magnuson. Thank you ladies for stepping up! New member Nancy Picchi had volunteered the position of Vice President as noted in the September meeting minutes, but on second thought she will wait on a position as she joins the club and participates in our activities and events, getting to know us first. Thank you Nancy and welcome, we hope you enjoy our fun group of ladies.
SO we are still in need of a President and Vice President!! PLEASE consider volunteering, the club depends on a board to continue.
Our last 3 months of this year are going to be busy. Below are the remaining events, please join us in the holiday season volunteering for 1 or more of these fun events. Bakers also are needed. IF you’re a newer member to the club, it’s a great way to get to know other members better in a smaller venue.
~Holiday Craft Faire & Bake Sale ~ November 17/18
~Christmas Bough Making ~ November 28/11:00 AM Community Center
~Boys & Girls Club Gift Store ~ Grannies ~ December
~Community Center Dinner/Crafts ~ December
~Holiday Luncheon/1849 Country Christmas ~ Shakespeare Theatre, December 6th, 2:00-5:00 PM
FAIR PLAN Insurance Discounts ~ After the meeting Heather Campbell gave an informative presentation on the new insurance laws going into effect and what homeowners’ can do to their property to take advantage of potential discounts. Below is an article Heather sent to be passed on to members.
Sherwood Demonstration Gardens ~ For those interested, the UCCE Master Gardeners of El Dorado County has a variety of events/classes happening throughout the Fall. The Sherwood Demonstration Gardens in Placerville are open Fridays and Saturdays. Shade Gardening September 30th, First Saturday Garden Tour & Landscape Grasses October 7th, Backyard Composting October 14th, Fall Into Gardening October 21st, Maintaining a Native Garden October 28th. Check out their website for more information,
Have a great week. See you at our October meeting in Apple Hill!
Debbie Bybee-Crumpley
President
Next Meetings~
*October 4
10:30 am Meet & Greet/11:00 am Meeting
Apple Ridge Farm # 20 on the Farm Trail
1800 Larsen Dr. / Corner of Cable Rd. & Larsen Dr.
Follow signs to parking. We will be at the picnic tables to the right of the covered patio area, in front of the bake shop.
Bring your own lunch & drink OR purchase lunch from their wonderful selection of foods for sale.
Stay after the meeting to wander the farm, visit their beautiful Zinnia flower garden, Apple Barn, Bake Shop, the Country Stores, pond, nature trail and more!
Take a look at their website for all they have to offer!
*November 1
10:30 am Meet & Greet/11:00 am Meeting
Annual Potluck/Pollock Pines Community Church
*December 6
2:00-5:00 pm
Holiday Luncheon – 1849 Country Christmas
Live Music by Opus
Shakespeare Theatre Club/Placerville
* September 6, 2023 Meeting Minutes https://dogwoodgardenclub.org/?p=2815&preview=true
Below –
* Insurance Information- Update to 9/3/23 Meeting Presentation/Article from Heather Campbell
FAIR Plan to Offer New Discounts for Homeowners Taking Steps to Protect Against Wildfire
The California FAIR Plan Association announced that it will introduce new home hardening discounts, effective
August 23, 2023, for policyholders who take steps to make their homes safer from wildfires. The new discounts are
designed to enhance wildfire resilience from home ignitions by encouraging homeowners to both harden the
construction of their home and improve the defensible space around structures. This law directs insurance
companies to provide relief to policies for those who have taken active steps to protect their homes from ember
ignitions.
The qualifying mitigation measures have been identified by fire prevention experts to help protect structures from
wildfire and reduce the risk of fire spreading in the immediate surroundings.
To qualify for either the immediate surroundings discount or structural discount, homeowners must meet the
following criteria:
Immediate Surroundings Protections [up to 5%]
Cleared vegetation and debris from under decks, and within 5 feet
Removal of combustible shed and other outbuildings from the immediate surroundings of the home, to at
least a distance of 30 feet
Defensible space compliance (including trimming trees, removal of brush and debris from yard, and
compliance with state law and local ordinances)
Structure Protections [up to 5%]
Class-A Fire rated roof
o [asphalt comp in good condition, metal and clay]
Maintain a 5-foot ember-resistant zone around a home (including fencing within 5 feet)
o [Replace sections of wood fence with a metal door and/or metal section against the home]
o [Remove all ornamental bushes or plants over knee height, all evergreens. Flowers and lite flashy low
plants that do not hold energy when it burns are ok]
Noncombustible 6 inches at the bottom of exterior walls
o [Can comply by installing hardy board or cement board along areas where your cement foundation is
close to the ground. It comes in many designs that mimic wood siding]
Ember and fire-resistant vents (See Low-Cost Retrofit List, and Chapter 7A)
o [Retro fit eave vents to flame ember resistant and foundation to a minimum 1/8 th inch, but the smaller
screen with metal vents are better – available at Diamond Lumber or Home Depot]
Upgraded windows (Double paned or added shutters)
o [Sliding glass and large widows have always required tempered double paned]
Enclosed eaves
The amount of savings will depend on which protections policyholders choose to implement. Consumers are
encouraged to work with their insurance broker to identify discounts for which they are eligible. All of Pollock Pines
is covered under the FIREWISE Community 10% discount; through one of the following, Sierra Springs Owners
Association, Gold Ridge Forest Fire Safe Council, or Pollock Pines. Check with your Insurance agent to see if they
applied this discount to your Fair Plan or Industry fire insurance. They can check to see if you live within a
participating community by Google “firewise community lookup” Firewise USA® sites by state
www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/Fire-causes-and-risks/Wildfire/Firewise-USA/Firewise-USA-Resources/Firewise-
USA-sites/State-listing-of-participants