From the President…

Volume 5 Issue 5 May 2006

From the President…

There has been an issue that has been bantered around this community for years. This year, the Long Range Planning Committee is attempting to settle the issue once and for all.

Our existing mail house has served us well for many years, but as the community continues to grow, its limitations are starting to show. It has enough boxes to service all of our residents, but the building needs repairs. Also, the traffic flow is becoming a problem especially with the addition of the entrance to Parkwood. The parking lot has limitations as to how many cars it can handle during the rush hours of people going to get their mail.

There are a couple of options that the Long Range Planning Committee is considering. One is curbside home mail delivery; the other is new mail houses. Included in your dues notices will be a simple question for you to answer: “Are you in favor of curbside home mail delivery, yes or no?” Before going forward, the Committee decided that getting a general feeling from the community was in order.

Just like any other issue that we face, this one has various pros and cons. We thought it appropriate to identify them to help you make your choice. Here are the things that you should consider when making your decision:

To date it has been an uphill battle with the Post Office regarding home delivery, and there are no guarantees that we can be successful in achieving this goal. It has required (and will continue to require) a great deal of effort to get the post office to agree to this.
Building new mail houses would require finding some uncovenanted land or passing a change to the covenants that would allow building one on covenanted land. The cost to build new or additional mail houses would run well over half a million dollars.
Curbside home mail delivery would require everyone to purchase and install mailboxes in front of their homes, which could affect the aesthetics of the community, especially in the cul-de-sacs. The association would be responsible for the purchase and installation of the mailboxes in the interest of uniformity.
A mail delivery vehicle driving to and stopping at each mailbox could create traffic problems and safety issues, especially on the hills and curves along Longleaf.
Incoming or outgoing mail left in street side mailboxes could create theft problems, especially in this age of personal privacy and identity theft concerns. This situation is lessened by the fact that this is a gated community. Nonetheless, it is a possibility.
Most packages would have to be picked up at the Post Office.

I could elaborate on these points, but I think you all are capable of reading between the lines. As you can see, either direction creates its own share of concerns.

Vote for your choice, but please do vote. Thanks.

Jim Meikle

Community Manager

Tony Robertson

673-5314 westsidetony@earthlink.net

NEWS FROM WEST PARK POOL

Currently, our pool is scheduled to open Memorial Day Weekend. The pool will be open (weather permitting) May 27-28-29 from 1:30 to 6:00 PM. After the 29^th, the pool will only be open in the afternoons from 4:00 until 6:30 until after June 9. That is when school is out, and when we will have enough lifeguards to staff the pool for full operation.

After the pool opens full-time for the summer, the pool hours will be:

Monday-Friday

10:00-11:30 AM - Open to all

11:30-12:30 - Adult Swim (Lane ropes provided) No children in the pool.

1:00-7:00 - Open to all

Saturday

11:00AM-6:00 PM - Open to all - No Adult Swim

Sunday

1:30 PM-6:00 PM - Open to all - No adult swim

Our Pool Manager this summer will be Leslie Fish. Leslie is a Physical Education teacher at West Pine Middle School, and has all certifications needed to operate our pool including being a Certified Pool Operator, which is required under NC Law.

Pool regulations will be basically the same as last year with a few exceptions. Copies of the rules and regulations will be available at the pool.

The Board has also agreed to allow the pool to be rented for private parties after pool hours. You may check with the Landowner’s for information regarding rental.

We hope you have an enjoyable summer at the pool, and while you are there, remember to BE SAFE !!

Landowner's Office to be open

on selected weekends

To assist our Landowners with the paying of their dues and any questions they may have, the Landowner's Office will be open on the following Saturdays from 9:00 AM until noon.

May 13

May 27

June 10

A reminder to boat owners: if your boat is over 25HP, you will need a letter or some statement showing proof of Liability Insurance. If it is 25 HP or below, you will still need to show proof of insurance. However, we have been told that some insurance companies will not carry a boat over 25 HP on your Homeowners Insurance, and that it would need to be on a separate policy.

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Recreation

Betty Milligan

673- 1462 ronbetmilligan@earthlink.net

For the West Side Residents' pleasure, private pool parties will be allowed at the West Side Park Pool. Please contact the Community Manager to make reservations.

The Board-approved rules for private pool parties are listed on page 5.

On Sunday, April 9, the West Side Park Community Center's first Easter Egg Hunt took place. The setting was perfect with plenty of sunshine, a warm breeze, and lots of room for activities.

The afternoon was fun for the entire family. Many children, parents, and grandparents came and enjoyed the hunt, activities, and refreshments.

The highlight of the afternoon, other than the egg hunt, which included over seven hundred eggs, was a special visit from the Easter Bunny. Many children were delighted to sit on his lap, have pictures taken, and receive an additional treat.

Thanks to the SLW Board for sponsoring this event and to the SLW Recreation Committee for its dedication to the huge success of the Easter Egg Hunt.

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Lake, Environment, Dam

Mary Anne Fewkes
673-4659 sevenlakeswest@hotmail.com

Boat registration is soon to begin. Boats registered must belong to the lot owner and show liability insurance in the name of that lot owner. Be sure to read Tony Robertson's message in regard to insurance. Swim season is here, and the lake temperature has reached 70 degrees.
Residents have asked about recreational swim floats off their docks. Yes, they're allowed, but you do need prior written approval from the Lake
Director of the WSLA Board. If you already received a written letter of approval, there will be one on file, and that is sufficient. There is no
requirement to place numbers or stickers on the float. It should be kept within 50 feet of the shore and not be an obstruction to boat traffic. When
not in use, it must be returned to the shoreline. Enjoy the lake!

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Lake Quality

Paul Kirst

673-8998 boathouse@nc.rr.com

Perhaps you have noticed the drilling rig on the dam recently. Our dam engineer is taking core samples to evaluate the erodability of the dam in the unlikely event that the lake rises enough to overflow the emergency spillway. His findings will determine whether we need to fortify the spillway to protect it from eroding if an overflow ever occurs.

Results of the quarterly water quality testing just came in. While nutrient levels in the lake do fluctuate very slightly from year to year, the amount of change is so small that it still appears that there have been no real changes since monitoring was begun 5 years ago. Certain conditions, however, do cause significant temporary changes in small coves. The bulkhead currently under construction in the cove where the golf course pumps water from the lake is causing nutrient levels to be elevated 5 times above normal. Disturbed soil and the resulting silt entering the lake always bring excess nitrates and phosphates into the lake. It always returns to normal after construction is finished and the water clears.

The summer nutrient loading is typically highest, due to fertilizer runoff from lawns and gardens. Be careful not to over-fertilize. Once your lawn is established, use a lake-friendly fertilizer with little or no phosphorous. Water clarity is now within the normal range of 22 to 24 feet for April.

The new batch of bluegills that were restocked in Lake Auman on April 17th contained a large proportion of a new genetic variety of brood
bluegills that spawn 5 times a year, rather than the typical bluegill that spawns only once per year. This will help us achieve our goal of attaining a self-sustaining bluegill population, and in turn, a better bass fishery. Volunteers from the Sports Club helped distribute the new fish to areas with known cover around the lake. If you participate in feeding fish, do not use dog food. The fish food sold by the Sports Club is specially formulated for fish. Crushing the pellets or grinding them in a blender will make the food accessible to the smaller fish.

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Vice President & Infrastructure Director

Ray MacKay

673-1690 rmackpe@earthlink.net

YARD WASTE TRANSFER STATION:

We have had to make a change. From now on, all pine cones will go in the dumpster. If you haven’t visited the site, drive up there on a Saturday afternoon and see how we handle the waste. “Grindable” trees, shrubs have their own drop area and all the other types of mixed yard wastes are deposited in the dumpsters on the site. You are reminded that, since the fencing and dumpsters are metal, the site will be closed for safety reasons during any lightning storm period.

BOAT & TRAILER STORAGE YARD:

The storage bays have been laid out in the Longleaf yard so we can now start making assignments. A number of the units will have to be relocated for optimum storage space use. We will notify you if we move your unit or if we need your help moving your unit. In any event you will be notified of your new bay address (number). If you are not currently using the yard and plan to do so, please notify the Landowners Association office of the type and size of your boat and/or trailer or your RV, etc. When we get finished, only sail boats will have long term use at the Johnson Point yard.

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From Beautification Committee

Flowers have been planted at the entrance to West Side Park Community Center and areas surrounding the park.

Also, the pots and planters at the mail house have been planted with blooming flowers as well.

MANY THANKS to all the wonderful, dedicated, and thoughtful volunteers who took the time to come out and help plant. YOU make a difference!!!

The Seven Lakes Forum

The next Forum is scheduled for Thursday, May 18, 2006, on the upper level of the West Side Park Community Center. Refreshments will be available at 9:00AM, with the formal session beginning at 9:15. Participants should plan for about a two-hour session. All women and men from Seven Lakes and their guests are invited to attend.

Major General Manila (Bud) Shaver (US Army, retired), a resident of Seven Lakes, will present the topic, ‘Christianity and Islam’.

The ‘format’ for the session follows:

9:00AM Refreshments

9:15 Presentation of information

10:00 Break, refreshments

10:10 Speaker/participant dialogue

For further information, please contact Don Welch (673-6701) or Bill Mamel (673-8970).

Other Notices:

EMS Phone Book…Ready

Copies of the 2006 EMS phone book are still available at the West Side Community Center. The price remains at $6.00. Stop in soon to get yours. Call Marilyn at 673-1221 for more information.

Attention All New Seven Lakes Homeowners!

The Seven Lakes Women's Auxiliary Welcome Committee visits new homeowners, providing a bag with information from area clubs, organizations and merchants. If you are a new homeowner on the West Side and would like a visit, please call Ann Chase 673-3434.

Bloodmobile Notice

The BLOODMOBILE on April 19 fell short of goal but improved on the previous drive with 57 productive units collected from 61 presenting donors. Really good news is six first-time donors and a number of first- timers at Seven Lakes. This is exceptional and bodes well for our community to regain its stature as a leading per capita collection site in the Carolina Region.

The next blood drive will be on Wednesday, July 19. Please note and join "regulars": Lee Connelly, Ashley Goforth, Debora Gray and Lucille Hanson in "The Gift of Life.”

Donor prize winners were Ellie Lyons, Mike Ellison and Don Thayer. Thank you donors and volunteers.

Jack Lynn – Coordinator

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Lake Quality

Seven Lakes West

Computer Club of Seven Lakes