Board of Directors
The new officer positions and committee chairmanships are posted on our website on the Board and Committees pages.

Just about every committee is looking for volunteers and advice from our residents. Contact a committee chair directly if you want to help.

Independence Day
The Fourth of July has always been a great day to get together with your family and neighbors to celebrate the freedoms we have in America.

The high cost of fuel will cause many of us to stay close to home this Independence Day. There are many great spots in our neighborhood to watch the fireworks show at Shepherd of the Hills. Please watch the little ones, especially if you are standing in the street to watch the show. If you have pets, you already know that the loud noises can upset them, take precautions to keep your pet safe before the show.

Of course, if you want to hear the music, you might consider walking down to Shepherd with a folding chair and a bottle of water.

Because gas is so high, we expect that many thousands of San Fernando Valley residents will come to Porter Ranch for the show this year. Construction has reduced parking close to the church. So Porter Ranch visitors may be looking for a place to park in Sorrento/Meadows. Our guards will be extra careful about strangers. If you are having guests over, please make sure the guards know in advance who is coming. That will reduce the wait for everyone.

Please let your guests know that traffic on the surrounding streets will be absolutely terrible from 7:30 PM until a couple of hours after the show.

As in past years, we will be closing the Torino gate in both directions at noon on the 4th of July. We will have a guard posted there to direct strangers away.

DUE TO EXTREME FIRE DANGER, FIREWORKS ARE PROHIBITED IN THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES, AND INSIDE OUR COMMUNITY. We will have an extra security patrol in our neighborhood to insure our safety, and they will respond to fireworks calls. Homes having a fireworks show in their yard will be fined by the Association. The patrol can be radio dispatched by calling either of the guard houses. In case of a fire or other emergency call 911 first!

The Board of Directors hopes you all have a fun, safe, and relaxing Independence Day!

The Annual Meeting and Election Results are In

There were 204 valid ballots cast. There was one ballot that did not have an address or other identification on the outer envelope. There were two ballots that were duplicates. Those three ballots were considered invalid and not opened or counted in the election. We required 150 valid ballots to meet our quorum. We had a very good turn out!

Congratulations to the new Board members!

The old Board members and the new Board members would like to thank the Election Committee under the direction of Dick Bratkovich for all of their hard work. They did their utmost to make the election fair under some trying circumstances. They did an excellent job in their efforts to meet our quorum requirements.

The Board members would also like to thank the Hospitality Committee under the leadership of Melissa Centeno for getting all of the refreshments and setting up the pool area for the election.

Special thanks go to S&S for supplying all of the water, to the House of Bread on Mason and Devonshire for supplying the wonderful desserts and to Sierra Canyon School which supplied the child care in the play area.

Outgoing Board Members, Debby Montero and Gigi McGregor from S&S and resident Neil Estrin worked very hard to make our community a safe and beautiful neighborhood their service to our community was irreplaceable.

A Note from the DWP on our Current Drought Conditions
The LADWP Board of Commissioners has approved revisions to the existing Water Conservation Ordinance to discourage water waste by expanding prohibited uses of water and increasing the penalties for violations.

Monetary fines for residential customers would be doubled from $50 for a first offense to $100, and quadrupled from $50 to $200 for large customers, including businesses, with meters two inches and larger.

A phased approach is being utilized for prohibited uses, allowing the Department to expand phases depending on the severity of water supply conditions. Phase I seeks compliance of prohibited uses and requirements and will be permanent and enforceable 24 hours a day throughout the year. Subsequent phases can be implemented based on an assessment of the City’s water supply by the Board.

Prohibited Uses: water hosing to rinse paved surfaces; decorative fountains or ponds without water recirculation; unrequested water service to restaurant customers; landscape irrigation runoff to pavement; washing vehicles without a water shutoff device; landscape irrigation between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. year-around; landscape irrigation during rain; single-pass cooling systems in new buildings.

Requirements: requiring maintenance of leaky pipes on facilities; requiring limiting sprinkler irrigation cycle times to 10 or 15 minutes; requiring new car washes and laundry systems to use water re-circulating systems; requiring daily towel and linen laundering service at hotels and motels to be optional; requiring use of rain sensors on irrigation systems at parks and open fields.

Enforcement will be administered utilizing the Department’s Droughtbuster Team which as been monitoring wasteful water practices and educating customers throughout the City during the past year. The Droughtbusters will issue citations, with warnings for first time offenders and issuance of fines for repeat offenders. Fines will appear as a charge on the customer’s DWP bill and appeals will follow an administrative process, with final appeal to the LADWP Board.

This notification, along with the revised Ordinance and an Executive Summary of the Ordinance will be posted on their website. You may email them at DroughtBusters@ladwp.com

Coyote Alert: Harden the Target
By Becky Leveque
Under cover of twilight two coyotes jumped over our backyard fence violently attacking and killing our dog, Smokey on January 15, 2008. My husband, Dave, stood less than 50 yards away from Smokey and heard the violent attack as it was occurring. He ran to the hill and saw the two coyotes running on the cement drain below our home. Smokey climbed up the hill and made her way back into the house. Dave wrapped her in a towel and rushed her to the vet, where she immediately underwent three hours of surgery. Smokey died of her injuries two hours later. It was heartbreaking.

As we investigated the coyote problem we found many neighbors with small, unprotected dogs in their back yards. We need to harden our target for coyotes just like Neighborhood Watch hardened the target for crime. One house at a time. Prevention is the key.

Coyotes are not protected animals. However, Animal Services has a policy of not killing coyotes, because that encourages their growth, with fewer coyotes contending for the same food supply. Officer Pro from the West Valley Animal Shelter told me, “Coyotes have a 76 mile radius, they are very territorial, smart, cunning, quick and hungry.” They can easily jump over a six foot fence. The type of coyotes we have are called “Urban Coyotes”. They adapt very easily.

Coyote Recommendations:
The Southern California Veterinary Medical Association recommends bringing pets inside at night, as most attacks occur at night. Bring pet food inside at night too, remove fallen fruit from trees, and store trash in containers with tight lids. If you see a coyote stalking your pet, they recommend you yell and throw rocks at the coyote and take your pet inside.

The LA County Department of Animal Care and Control notes that backyard brush provides habitat for coyote prey and should be cleared; coyotes would rather dig under a fence than jump over it, so fences should have an “apron” buried at least four to six inches, extending out 20 inches and securely attached to the fence.

Report coyote sightings to the West Valley Animal Care & Control Center at 888-452-7381. For a map of coyote activity, visit www.coyotebytes.org.