Saturday, March 29, 2008

Hit Counter

Has the hit counter always been at the bottom? I just noticed it there.

I am surprised that there are only 4 contributors. I hope our homeowners are checking in from time to time for any updates.

Fountain

Just an update.

It took me a while to get the paperwork mailed off with the deposit, sorry this is my fault. Cinci Fountains has already ordered the fountain, so we can expect installation any time.

Lastly for anyone who has wondered. They have agreed to dispose of the old fountain for us. He said he may be able to use it for parts. I said if you want it you can have it, just get it out of here. I really didn't want to have to find a way to dispose of the thing.

More updates if needed.

John

LCOH Opens soon!

The LCOH is opening this summer/fall off of Old Western Row Rd.
My understanding is that they will not have any "criminal " holds. Since I work in the ER that accepts all the mental illness in Warren County I'll be able to see what clients are placed where.
Oh and they are hiring.................and accepting new patients ................I'm not applying for either position, so don't suggest it Rick.


Lindner Center of HOPE

The Craig and Carl Lindner Families presented the University of Cincinnati (UC) with a generous gift of $30 million to establish the Craig and Frances Lindner Center of HOPE. This comprehensive behavioral health care facility will be designed to provide inpatient and outpatient state-of-the-science diagnostic and treatment services integrated with primary medical care and clinical research. The 86,500–square-foot world-class facility will be located on 35 acres in a private setting in Mason, Ohio, with 56 beds serving adolescents, adults and older adults. It will be staffed by UC College of Medicine physicians and will be jointly operated by The Lindner Foundation and The Health Alliance of Greater Cincinnati. Individualized treatment plans will be based on patients’ physical, psychological, social, cultural, educational, spiritual and vocational backgrounds.

The Center will be a center of excellence, incorporating evidence-based treatment in all modalities of care with access to the latest scientific advances in clinical neuroscience. Additionally, it will serve as a community resource for consultation, referrals, education and research. The Lindner Center of HOPE is slated to open in 2008.

Thursday, March 27, 2008

beating a dead horse

Did I mention it is time to get that Halts out?

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I recognize we are a diverse neighborhood ... I hope this isn't offensive ... yikes!

halts time

It's time!

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Kill Visible Crabgrass

Crabgrass gets its name because it sprawls from a central root low across the ground. It can become a problem quickly because it is able to grow vigorously in hot, dry conditions. Before dying in the fall, a single weed can distribute thousands of seeds which will be ready to germinate in spring. Crabgrass is a problem, but you can rid your lawn of the weeds easily with our plan.

Prevention and Maintenance

Set mowing height to high
Higher mowing encourages lawn grasses to shade and prevent the germination of crabgrass seeds. A deep, thick lawn seldom contains much crabgrass. You can discourage crabgrass by mowing at the proper height for your grass type.

Deep water your lawn
Weeds are better adapted to adverse growing conditions than most lawn grasses. Shallow and infrequent watering will only weaken the roots of your grass, while allowing the crabgrass to thrive and take over. Water lawns deeply and less frequently. When you water, wet the soil to a depth of 4-6 inches. This usually requires the equivalent of ½-1 inch of rainfall.

Prevent crabgrass seeds from taking root
Apply Scotts® Halts® Crabgrass Preventer or Scotts® Turf Builder® Fertilizer with Halts® Crabgrass Preventer in early spring (before temperatures reach 65°F) to feed your grass while providing a barrier that prevents crabgrass seeds from germinating. Use our Annual Program Builder™ to create a complete lawn feeding schedule.

Monday, March 17, 2008

fountain update

Just a quick note for those of you keeping track; it will be roughly three weeks for the new fountain installation. We'll make another post if we hear anything different than that.

If you see John Conyers, thank him for his diligence in researching this and getting the ball rolling. And thanks to Dale Rook for his technical input ... and feel free to encourage Dale to sponsor a christening party.

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I hope Chicago doesn't miss their fountain ... just kidding ... ours won't be quite as big.

Saturday, March 15, 2008

get your lawn treatment now

This is not a plug for Home Depot nor Scotts brand products - it is only a reminder that unless you are Mike Ellis, you are probably procrastinating regarding your lawn treatment.

Now is the time to get that crab grass preventer down. I just went to Home Depot where I picked up 15,000 sq ft worth of the following:
  • Scotts Turf Builder w/ Halts Crabgrass Preventor - $39.44 ... apply now!
  • Scotts Turf Builder w/ Plus 2 Weed Control - $36.44 ... mid-May application
  • Scotts Turf Builder w/ SummerGuard - $48.88 ... mid-June application
  • Scotts Turf Builder Lawn Fertilizer with 2% Iron - $27.88 mid-August application
I also grabbed a couple of bags of Scotts GrubEx (5,000 sq ft each) at $19.88 each ... mid to late June application.

Of course I forgot my Round-Up to kill that grass popping up in the mulch beds ... but I can always go back to get that (and stop by Graeters on the way).

Speaking of mulch, the Boy Scouts Troop 750 has a great deal on mulch. If you did not get your flyer on your mail box, call Michelle at 398-2019 for details. Orders need to be received by March 21 and they deliver April 12&13.

landscape and maintenance company

The contract with our landscape and grounds maintenance company, Brickman Group (formerly Ground Master), expired at the end of 2007. Based on concerns voiced by several of you and other factors, the board has opted to not renew that contract and sign with another company. A big thanks to John Conyers for investigating the details of several companies and helping us choose one that we think will provide quality service at an optimal price. Effective immediately we are using TR Gear.

Please provide feedback to your nearest HOA board member. We want to set expectations early with TR Gear to avoid issues in the future.

Sunday, March 9, 2008

fountain update

Good news! John Conyers has done a great job researching fountains and we have approved one to replace the current worn out fountain. It will be the Arch model provided by Cincinnati Fountain Company configured as follows:
  • Body Assembly and Pump 1 hp 230 volt 60 HZW/lO' 12/3 cablewf quick disconnect
  • Command center with GFIC protection,24 hr time clock and photo cell
  • Nozzle type: Arch
  • Pump Electrical Cable 150' of12/3 SIW underwater cable
  • Three light daisy chain, 110volt, 120 watt underwater lights w/ quick disconnect
  • Electrical Cable for lights 150' of 12/3 SIW underwater cable
  • Stainless steel mounting brackets for lights .
  • Anchors and roping
  • 1 year service (cleaning and lamp replacements not included)
  • Shipping and handling
The current estimate is just under $4k but we have $2k budgeted for fountain maintenance. Since the first year maintenance is includes, that offsets 50% of the purchase.

John will initiate the purchase process and update us on timing as he gets that information.

who is the HOA board?

The Mason Fields Home Owner Association Board met last night (since we had nothing else to do because of the snow).

One of the topics discussed was communications. We will soon send out a "snail-mail" letter to the neighborhood with our personal contact information as well as the link to this blog. This will also request your contact information to update the current list we have. At this point, only 34 of our 58 residents have provided detail information. We hope everyone will choose to participate.

For now, here is the list of board members:
  • President - Rick Ianniello
  • Vice-President - Brahm Prakash
  • Secretary - Rich Klaus
  • Treasurer - John Conyers
  • Member at Large - Koti Sreekrishna