CCV1 Vista Voice Publication

Vista VoiceMay 2019BOARD MEETINGSOur board of directors meets on the first Monday of the monthfrom October through May at 1:00 pm.Message From the Board of DirectorsPresidentGinny Mindelginnymindel@ccv1gv.org520-399-2095Vice PresidentPatty taryJenny Bernardjen@ccv1gv.org206-268-0808At our last meeting of the season, the Board decided to workover the summer months exploring measures to reduce the deterioration of our streets. Board members will share responsibility for different aspects of this project and everyone welcomesyour input. We will meet again October 7, but in the meantime,please watch the website for information on what we are doing! We send a big thank you to George Esterly for introducing us to Marianne Bishop, who has been a Community Association Manager in Green Valley since 2003. Ms. Bishop attended a portion of our meeting and described what she believes areour options for maintaining road surfaces, including her experiences with communities who own and maintain their roads; thepros and cons of contracting for trash service as a community,and managing communications. Thank you Marianne!TreasurerSteve Williamsccv1gv@gmail.com520-639-5822Without fanfare, the Architecture Committee leadership wastransferred from Gene Dunsirn to Fred D’Angelo for the season. Thank you Gene and Welcome Fred! Remember to contact the Architecture Committee before making any exteriormodifications or additions to your property.Yards & AlleysJohn Bergstromlizardjohn@gmail.com480-430-5449We also remind everyone of parking restrictions:CC&Rs, Section A – Use Restrictions, #14 Parking. “Recreational vehicles, trailers, motor homes, watercraftArchitectureOctober-MarchGene red D’Angelofreddangelo@cox.net520-425-2697Social Committee ChairPeggy Tanspeggytans@ccv1gv.org616-916-0119Continued on page 5May 2019

An Alaska Gardener in ArizonaBy Patty LaPierreIn case you haven’t noticed, the cactus are blooming! Those flowersare so spectacular!! I take a million pictures of them, on my phone,and subject my friends and family in Juneau to the beauty of Arizona.They love them!Speaking of the cactus/succulents, I seem to be suffering the samememory problems here that I did in Alaska. No sooner do I find outthe names of the plants in the median, then I forget them. So irritating. I intend to make little signs with their ‘LaPierre’ names on them,for me and for anyone that ‘wants to know’.The blue cactus has already bloomed. I call that one the ‘ViciousBlue Butt Sticker’. A warning: Never bend over around that one.(Unless you have a significant other and a good pair of tweezers. Idon’t. Let me just say that the afflicted area goes numb after a weekor so; however, they do tend to catch on underwear.)Auxiliary Positions:Newsletter & Websitewww.ccv1gv.orgRob Mortonrob@ccv1gv.org206-268-0808Neighborhood WatchDee Rugerdeeruger2@msn.com303-885-8353Welcome New ResidentsJim and Maureen Handleymhandley5820@gmail.com248-495-6363Tiny Thumb and Old Timer were given to me by a friend that promised to destroy me and everyone living in a one block radius if theydied from dehydration. Okay, perhaps she wasn’t quite that bloodthirsty; however, her point was made. I am happy to report that TinyThumb and Old Timer made it through the winter! We are safe!What’s Brewin’ PartyPurple Cat Beauty is in the process of blooming. Beware: this plantBRING YOUR OWNhas loooong thorns, kind of like cat claws. The scratches have healedAPPETIZERS ANDnicely, thank you. (If you see any skin hanging on those thorns, pleaseDRINKS!return it, it’s mine.)Last fall I planted some blue ‘Chokes’, so named because my last ‘ex’would come home from a long day working at Green’s Creek Mineon Admiralty Island, fill a pan with water, add an Artichoke, thenwalk away and forget it was on the stove. Eventually someone wouldsmell, or see smoke coming out of the kitchen, remove the pan fromthe stove and put out the flames. We would be ‘choking’ on thesmoke the rest of the night.One of the cactus/succulents in the southern median has not yet beennamed. It keeps a silent vigil, alone and lonely. Okay. Truth. I didname it; however, the name, while in my head, may not be said outloud. Let’s just call it ‘Richard’ and leave it at that.Friday, May 17thHome ofJenny Bernard &Rob Morton220 W Paseo del Chino5- 7 pmCome meet yourneighbors!Questions? CallPeggy Tans at616.916.0119Front door or back alley?Jen and Rob have a steepdriveway to their frontdoor. If you prefer, enterthrough the alley gatewith the balloon bouquet!2May 2019

Some Information regarding pests around your propertyAs the weather heats up and a monsoon storm or two wanders through, you’re going to see more insect action in your house and yard. Actually, many bugs and critters we see in summer are alwaysaround; they just hide out in winter, sometimes in your own backyard.That doesn’t make it any less frightening, of course, when a scorpion skitters across the kitchen tiles orcockroaches crawl up out of the shower drain in the master bath. If that actually happens to you, thingshave gone too far and you probably need to call the pest control company to wage real war on yourcreepy-crawlies.But there is do-it-yourself action you can take to deter pests inside and out. Here are some invadersthat upset us the most in Arizona and what to do about them:ScorpionsScorpions aren’t exactly insects, but they are related to spiders and horseshoe crabs. They’re probablythe most feared creatures we’ll talk about because being stung by a scorpion could mean a trip to theemergency room.Most common in Arizona are bark scorpions. In cold weather, they may hang out in stacks of earthenpots or in the saucers under plant containers, piles of firewood or boards, fallen leaves and branches,and stacks of rocks or bricks. They can hide among the dried out fronds of unkempt palm trees. Theycan also hide on the underside of the stucco lip at the bottom of the exterior walls of your home.If you can clean out potential nesting areas, scorpions will be less likely to hang around.They may move into your home or garage when their territory is disrupted by construction, tree removal or floods, according to experts at the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension. But sometimes that’s not even necessary. Unfortunately, an individual scorpion can live for several years.They’re also more likely to be active at night in summer, when they go out to eat insects and spiders.That’s when you can use an ultraviolet black light, which makes scorpions glow in the dark; thatmeans you can spot them and destroy them. You also need to: Install weather stripping around loose fitting doors and windows. Ensure that door sweeps are tight fitting. Caulk around roof eaves, pipes and other cracks in the exterior of your home. Avoid bringing boxes in from the outside or from the garage without inspecting them first. Don’t stick your hands into holes or boxes without checking for problems. Cut back tree branches and heavy foliage away from the side of your house. Clean off the bottoms of outdoor furniture and the bottoms of barbecue grills.Many homeowners who have scorpions are advised to spread diatomaceous earth, basically broken upsea shells, around the exterior of their homes. The tiny shards can pierce the scorpion’s body as theyscuttle over it.“People usually don’t get the pest control grade of diatomaceous earth; they don’t always apply it correctly to get optimal results, and it’s not a silver bullet by itself,” says Curtis Whalen of Blue Sky PestControl. “It can be a helpful tool, but you have to buy the right formulations and use it in the rightplaces.”Black widow spidersJust like scorpions, black widows love Arizona and usually live within a foot of the ground and in exterior cracks and crevices. They generally don’t come into houses, but they sometimes do end up ingarages and closets.Although you usually can’t find the spiders themselves outdoors, you might find their white, irregularshaped webs. The spiders are a glossy black, and females may have a red hourglass shape on their abdomens. Although their venom is not fatal, it is painful and can require a visit to the doctor.If you spot them, you can spray them and kill them. Many instructions for keeping them out of yourhome and yard are the same as we gave for scorpions. Pesticide control for black widows works beston direct contact with them or their webs and egg sacs.CockroachesSeveral types of cockroaches are found in Arizona, according to Whalen. Most common are the American cockroach or sewer roach and Turkestan and German roaches. The University of Arizona advises:Continued on page 43May 2019

Place metal baskets in all floor drains and keep drains super clean. Run water once a week in all toilets and sink. Fix outdoor water leaks. Replace cardboard storage boxes with plastic ones. Eliminate clutter inside your home and out, just as you did for scorpions and spiders. Restrict food consumption to specific areas and keep them very clean. Increase cleaning and sanitation throughout your home.They can be killed with insecticides, but you need to monitor your home regularly.CricketsCrickets may seem harmless because of all that annoying and cheerful chirping; but they do leavestains on clothing and they can attract scorpions that prey on them. Scorpions also like to eat cockroaches by the way. Enough said. Get rid of all of them.If you’re afraid of using chemicals, pest control companies do have “green” products with low toxicityfor handling these problems.Next week, we’ll talk about the questions that our readers and listeners ask about most often regardingair conditioning.For more do-it-yourself tips, go to rosieonthehouse.com. An Arizona home building and remodelingindustry expert for 25 years, Rosie Romero is the host of the syndicated Saturday morning Rosie onthe House radio program, heard locally from 8 to 11 a.m. on KNST-AM (790) and -FM (97.1) in Tucson and KGVY-AM (1080) and -FM (100.7) in Green Valley. Call 888-767-4348.Owning a pet in Pima County:Minimum Care LawsAnimals must be provided with adequate food, water, shelter, medical care, exercise space and ventilation.Remember, that animals can die in less than 5 minutes if left in a hot vehicle.The shelter requirement does not apply to livestock.Liability for your AnimalIf your animal bites or attempts to bite someone or, destroys property or other animals you are liable fordamages.All animal bites must be reported to the Pima Animal Care CenterLeash LawYour dog must be kept in an enclosed yard when on your property.Tie-outs are prohibitedYour dog cannot be off your property unless restrained by a leashAnd, this tip for your dogs’ safety: Keep dogs on leash whenever you walk them, even if they come whencalled. Dogs have been killed by rattlesnakes that seek shade under bushes and rocks. In case of a snake bite,do not waste time trying to extract the poison (which doesn’t work)! Go immediately to your vet or a 24-houranimal emergency center in Tucson (there are none in Green Valley). Snake (and toad) aversion training isavailable at Central Pet in Amado, AZ 520-398-7577.Website update info:Please routinely check theWe have started publishing a complete set of minutes from ourBoard Meetings. You will find a link under “CCV1 Links” onthe front page of our website.For easy access now, here it is.http://www.ccv1gv.org/Minutes.htmThe last paragraph in each set of minutes has a link to accompanying Committee Reports.4CCV1 websitehttp://www.ccv1gv.org/TheVista Voice will be publishedthere along with other pertinentinformation.If you don’t have a computer,the library has them for thepublic’s use or you can pick upa hard copy at the CCV1front entrance,near Charley, the gopher.greeter!May 2019