March 2018 PTheony Express Nellie Gail Ranch Community Newsletter INSIDE: MARCH ISSUE: Tennis Center News Clubhouse Refresh Equestrian Center News Nellie Gail S.M.A.R.T. Team Dark Horse Annual Meeting Information LLOYD W. GASS Regency Real Estate Brokers JUST SOLD JUST SOLD! 25782 Prairestone Drive This property has been totally remodeled inside and out! Spacious 4 bedroom plus bonus room (or 5th bedroom), 3 bathrooms, 2 story home with remodeled kitchen and bathrooms, gorgeous dark hard wood floors, granite counter tops, stainless steel appliances and moldings throughout! The backyard has plenty of room to play and party, with new hardscape & fire pit, artificial turf, putting green and custom pool and spa. Sold for at $1,399,000 #1 REAL ESTATE AGENT LAGUNA HILLS #1 SELLING OFFICE Lloyd W. Gass cell: (949) 632-2598 Lloyd DRE # 00596207 website: www.isellsoc.com REGENCY 25950 Acero Ste. 100 | Mission Viejo, CA 92691 REAL ESTA TE BROKERS If your home is currently listed with a broker, this is not intended as a solicitation. Designed/Printed By One Step Services 1-888-587-5301. © Copyright, all rights reserved. email: [email protected] TABLE OF CONTENTS 15 17 18 49 52 05 Director's Message 31 Team Darkhorse 06 Update Regarding on 2017-18 33 Nellie Gail Ranch Clubhouse Refresh Assessment Increase 37 Nominating Committee Charter 08 Architectural Reviews 39 Business Directory 09 Board of Directors Meeting 41 Surviving the Earthquake , Steps to Take 19 Equestrian Center News BEFORE It Happens 21 Tennis Center News 47 Classified Ads 30 Nellie Gail S.M.A.R.T. 51 The Puzzle Paddock 2 | THE PONY EXPRESS Community Contacts Board of Directors Loree Blough PRESIDENT Paul Holland VICE PRESIDENT Mark Fisk CO-TREASURER 25211 Empty Saddle Drive, Laguna Hills CA 92653 Jill Barkouras CO-TREASURER Phone: (949) 425-1477 Alex Presley SECRETARY Fax: (949) 425-1478 Contact your Board of Directors by emailing: [email protected] www.NellieGailRanch.org Brian Mitchell DISCLAIMER: The paid advertisements contained within the Pony Express magazine are not endorsed or recommended by Nellie Gail Ranch Owners General Manager Association (NGROA). Therefore, NGROA may not be held liable or responsible [email protected] for business practices of these companies. Any use of the “Nellie Gail” name in said advertisements is not affiliated with Nellie Gail Ranch Owners Association. Dennis C. Moss Opinions expressed within are not necessarily the views of NGROA and takes no Operations Manager Parks & Recreation Facilities responsibility for content or claims made within. [email protected] The Pony Express publishes articles that are relevant to the community or are directly related to property maintenance and community activities in NGROA and Jeff Hinkle are in support of the Association’s purpose to preserve property values within the Facilities & Compliance Manager community. The Editor reserves the right to refuse, edit or modify any submitted [email protected] material and the editor’s decision is final. Submissions selected for publication by the Editor may be edited according to the space limitations of each specific Diane Goodchild issue. Publisher cannot be held responsible for copyright breaches arising from Community Associate any materials supplied by a third party. NGROA Board of Directors & employees are not responsible for any errors, inaccuracies or claims in articles or advertisements [email protected] printed herein. Any opinions stated herein are solely those of the individual authors Monique DiBonaventura and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of NGROA or its representatives. Communications and Events Coordinator / Pony Express Editor NOTE: When community events take place, photographers may be present to take photos that may be used in this publication. [email protected] 25281 Empty Saddle Drive, Laguna Hills CA 92653 Phone: (949) 831-6660 25202 Nellie Gail Road, Laguna Hills CA 92653 Office: (949) 425-1477 Cell: (949) 371-1595 Charee Jones Equestrian Center Manager [email protected] Manuel Ruelas Operations Manager [email protected] Equestrian Center EMERGENCY: (949) 533-0241 3 | THE PONY EXPRESS Important Numbers Board of Directors Meetings (949) 425-1477 Association Office The March Board Meeting and Homeowner Forum is (949) 831-6660 Nellie Gail Ranch Tennis & Swim Club scheduled for Tuesday, March 20, 2018 at 7:30 p.m. in the Clubhouse. All agenda and support items must (949) 371-1595 Nellie Gail Ranch Equestrian Center be submitted in writing to the Association Office at (949) 533-0241 Equestrian Center (Emergency) least two weeks in advance of the meeting to allow (800) 696-0678 Sunset Landscape (Irrigation Leaks) Board Members ample time to review all materials. (714) 971-2421 Vector Control The agenda will be posted in the Association Office and on the NGR website on the Friday prior to the (877) 728-0446 CR&R (Trash Pickup) meeting, or you may contact the Association Office (949) 831-2500 Moulton Niguel Water District to obtain agenda information. All homeowners are (800) 411-7343 SDG&E welcomed and encouraged to attend the meetings. (800) 427-2200 Southern California Gas Company (949) 470-3045 Animal Control (Mission Viejo Shelter) Architectural Review Committee County of Orange EMA Architectural Review Committee meetings are (949) 834-5400 Directory Assistance generally held the second Tuesday of each month 911 Emergencies at 7:00 pm at the Association Office. Completed applications must be submitted to the Association 211 County Service Information Office at least 10 business days prior to the ARC (949) 770-6011 Sheriff’s Dispatch - Non Emergency meeting. Please check the calendar in each issue of (949) 707-2600 City of Laguna Hills the Pony Express for exact submittal deadlines and (949) 707-2650 Laguna Hills City - Weed Abatement ARC meeting dates. (800) 611-7343 SDG&E Emergencies/Outages Association Committees Assessment Remittance Address The Nellie Gail Ranch Owners Association has Please remit all assessments to: several committees comprised of Homeowners that provide support to the Board of Directors on P.O. Box 512989, Los Angeles, CA 90051-0989 selected Community topics. For more information or drop off at the Association Office. or to join any of our Committees, please contact the Association Office at (949) 425-1477. Architectural Review Committee Mission Statement Community Landscape Committee Emergency Preparedness Committee To take all reasonable and necessary steps Equestrian Committee to preserve and improve the unique value of living in Nellie Gail Ranch and to enhance the Landscape Committee overall sense of community. Security Ad Hoc Committee Trails & Crossing Safety Committee Director's Message By Jill Barkouras Spring is coming trees and vegetation. I am sure you can all see soon…. And so are the improvements as you drive through the some new exciting community and walk on the trails. Lighting has improvements for been increased to showcase the trees and for our Nellie Gail Ranch added security. The monuments are even more Neighborhood. As lit up, and Monument Park off Oso will have a a Board Member new look in the coming months. All this will add our role is to assess to the entrance value of our community. the needs of the It is time to update the Nellie Gail Clubhouse. community, relay Plans have been discussed for years, and we those ideas through are currently positioned to start in phases with effective communication channels, and execute a modified approach that will improve the front plans within budgetary guidelines. The most entrance, bring our parking lot up to code, effective way to identify those goals is to survey, and offer a kitchen set-up for events. Under and look at what the majority would like to see consideration pending bidding are outdoor happen. Of course, we are a diverse group of BBQs, fire pits, and a refresh to the clubhouse Homeowners, so it is difficult to meet everyone's with a bar, new tables and seating, fireplaces, needs, but the overall motive is to improve and additional meeting space. We are hopeful our community and maintain our property that all these added amenities will create a warm values through positive changes and ongoing and inviting place for neighbors to gather. The maintenance. Security ranked extremely high in current plan, being considered, is going to be importance on our survey confirming the need funded by existing reserves and is in the budget. to implement action, and the hiring of a 24 hour 74% is being funded by the Tennis Center, which security service to patrol the neighborhood, act is a key part of our unique community appeal. as a deterrent to crime, and report suspicious activity to the sheriff (which is where potential Guided by the survey input, we feel that we are crime should be reported). We have put together benefiting all the centers and adding value to a Security Ad Hoc Committee specifically the community. We invite all residents to stay designed to evaluate the efficacy of this form of updated on the ongoing plans through The security. They are a mixed group of Homeowners Pony Express, Board meetings, and Website. with different levels of expertise in the field. They There will be a continued focus on making this will make a full report of their findings along with information complete and informative as these alternatives that might better meet the safety exciting changes unfold !!! needs of our community. Their findings will be We are looking forward to seeing all of you at fully presented at a Board meeting, in The Pony the Annual Easter Egg Hunt!!! Don't forget to Express, and on the website. bring your camera to take a picture with the Beautification of the neighborhood was high Easter Bunny and enjoy fun crafts and activities! on the list of importance. This is currently being Fun events will continue to follow as we enjoy handled through a landscape design consultant our community, and all that it has to offer.