SCSH News

The Design Review Committee is looking for new sub-committee members!

The committee meets periodically to review and approve/disapprove propose architectural and landscape changes/improvements to all residential lots. The Committee will best assure that the aesthetics of the Community are not compromised and the intent of the Association's CC&Rs and Design Review Guidelines are not violated.

If you are interested, fill out an Advisory Committee Interest Form and submit it to the HOA office.

We are imploring YOU—SCSH homeowners—to exercise diligence about protecting your personal safety and your personal property! Unfortunately, we in SCSH are experiencing a slight uptick in crime. Trespassers are hopping over walls, getting into garages, and stealing cars—largely because homeowners leave their garage doors open 6 to 8 inches for air circulation, leave side doors unlocked, leave valuable items in their unlocked cars, and leave car keys inside the vehicles.

According to Mark Galvin, Community Safety Director:

We cannot prevent all crimes from occurring here at Sun City Shadow Hills, but we must remain steadfast  in our prevention efforts.

The Indio Police Department has noted that crimes of opportunity have been on the rise recently throughout all of the gated communities north of interstate 10. Let’s not give the thieves and would-be thieves any reason to enter our community. Let’s make SCSH an IN-convenient place for criminals to do business. The bigger the challenge they have here, the more likely they will move on to another, easier community in which to commit their crimes.

SCSH is a wonderful community with lots of safety amenities, including property walls, secured gates with guards, and a 24/7 Safety Officer Patrol. Safety is certainly one of the many reasons we all chose to purchase here. We must be safe and secure, right?

Well, YES, as a matter of fact, we are safer and more secure than a neighborhood without all these safety amenities; however, we are still susceptible to crimes of opportunity! While SCSH has a very low crime rate compared to other communities in the City of Indio, SCSH residents might be living with a false sense of security if they assume high walls, three patrol cars per shift, and guards at our gates is all it’s going to take to keep the bad guys away! We have to work together to make SCSH a very undesirable place for thieves to commit their crimes here.

We’ve written articles to remind SCSH residents to lock their vehicles:

• www.scshca.com/presidents-message-theft-from-autos-and-vandalism-update
• www.scshca.com/lets-make-scsh-undesirable-to-thieves

City of Indio’s recommended safety routine is a citywide endeavor to get ALL City of Indio residents into the habit of doing five simple things every night at 9 PM before retiring for the evening (www.scshca.com/9pm-routine-2/). Those five simple tasks include:

1. Remove all valuables from your vehicle.
2. Lock and secure your vehicles (even when they are inside your garages).
3. Lock and secure your house and garage (front, back and side garage doors).
4. Turn on your porch lights (replace bulbs immediately when burned out).
5. Report any suspicious activity immediately to 911 and then immediately to our 24-hour Community’s Safety Officer on duty at:
   • Jefferson Front Gate (Phases 1 and 2): (760) 345-4458 or
   • Avenue 40 Front Gate (Phase 3): (760) 342-4725

We KNOW how to safeguard ourselves and our possessions from would-be thieves who wander into our community and look for crimes of opportunity. An unlocked car may yield them a few dollars in change or a new pair of expensive sunglasses, not to mention what they could get for that brand-new set of golf clubs sitting in your trunk! Don’t get me started about a wide-open garage and what that loot might look like to someone looking for a few items they can trade or sell for some quick cash.

• July 1 through July 5: Eight thefts from vehicles, six incidents of vandalism, and one incident involving two trespassers in our community. The burgled cars were unlocked.Items stolen from these vehicles included, but were not limited to, sunglasses, house keys, vehicle keys, and a wallet taken from a purse left inside the car that contained ID cards, credit/debit cards, and $1,000 cash! Some of these incidents were NOT even reported to the Indio Police Department by the resident (victims).

• August 13: Early morning, a homeowner discovered a trespasser in his garage. The garage door had been left open 6 to 8 inches, enough room to enable the trespasser to wiggle under the door and gain entry to the garage.That same day additional homeowners reported there were items stolen from two more cars, and a third vehicle stolen.
• August 25: Another car stolen from inside a garage with the smart key sitting IN THE UNLOCKED CAR!

These incidents are believed to be committed by the same trespasser who was found in the resident’s garage. Again, the affected vehicles were NOT locked and valuable items were left in the cars overnight! And again, some of these incidents go unreported by homeowners to our local police department and to our own Safety patrols!

We must emphasize the HOA’s safety protocol is that homeowners are responsible for notifying the police. This must be done by the homeowners, unless physically unable to do so. Police do not want to hear second- or third-hand about these incidents. Police need to hear from the homeowner directly, as the witness/victim of the crime. The SCSH safety personnel work very closely with the police in trying to apprehend trespassers and thieves, but homeowners must file the report with the police by calling 911 for a direct threat and then immediately calling our SCSH 24-hour Safety Patrol at (760) 345-4458.

Remember: crimes of opportunity occur because we allow the opportunity to exist. We are seniors, and yes, at times, we can be forgetful. Therefore, we must tackle this problem as a community, street by street, neighbor to neighbor. SCSH homeowners want to enjoy feeling safe and secure in our community. We cannot abandon our own responsibility to be as diligent about our personal safety as possible! If word gets out on the street that our community is easy prey, then we can expect more criminal incidents.

All homeowners—become diligent about your security and abide by the simple precautions listed in this article. Be good neighbors and keep a lookout for ANYTHING out of the ordinary. The Indio Police Department encourages everyone to contact them when they see or know of any suspicious activity in their neighborhood and to become a diligent participant in the 9PM Routine.

IF YOU SEE SOMETHING . . . SAY SOMETHING!

To see more videos, visit our Videos page by clicking here.

The next budget meetings are scheduled for:

• Friday, September 28, 2018 • 10:00 AM
• Tuesday, October 23, 2018 • 10:00 AM

Meetings will be held in the front half of the Montecito Clubhouse ballroom.

September's issue of The View is now available digitally for download. Hard-copies should be delivered by September 1.

Is anyone a backgammon player and interested in starting a club? We could play once a week or every other week depending on what a majority would like.

If interested, please call Marie DeVito at 760-636-5593. Could be fun!

The Walgreens vaccination clinics scheduled for September 6 and 27 have been cancelled.

We apologize for the inconvenience.

To view more Fitness Videos, click here.

To view more Fitness Videos, click here.

By George Stephens
Information Advisory Committe (IAC) Member

Do you remember plate spinning as a part of a juggling act that was presented on the Ed Sullivan Show in years past? When a spinning plate slows, it will topple, fall, and break. The juggler had to revisit each spinning plate as it slowed to speed it up again. The greater the number of plates, the more frantically the juggler had to dash from plate to plate to plate to keep them all spinning. The image of a juggler rushing from spinning plate to spinning plate is a good analogy for describing Cynthia Bakshy, who has a history of balancing many activities (if not plates).

Cynthia and husband David will be celebrating their fiftieth (50) anniversary next year. Before she married, Cynthia worked in hospitals as a radiology and cardiology technician. After she and David married and were living in St. Louis, she went back to college. There she obtained an art degree with the intention of becoming a medical illustrator or a graphic art designer. That didn’t work out as planned so . . .

She and David then moved to California where Cynthia started her second career. She sold heart and cardiovascular surgery devices for 18 years. As if that wasn’t challenging enough, she and David bought an event production company and ran that for 20 years. She was president and co-owner with David and, along with 40 employees, they planned and presented corporate events for groups of between 300 and 2,000 attendees. And you thought having a dinner party on the patio for 20 friends was a big job! Being responsible for such large and critically important events for corporate clients was stressful and required planning for any unexpected calamities, such as generators and public address systems in case of power disruptions.

After Cynthia thoroughly researched dozens of 55+ communities, in June 2014 she and David moved to SCSH from Cowan Heights in Orange County. Having demonstrated her ability to keep many “plates” in the air, she has been a positive addition to our community. She is currently a member of 10 clubs. (And some of us are overwhelmed about being challenged with two clubs.) Just to mention a few they include: Reformer Pilates, current Computer Club secretary, past president of Classy Niners, the Discussion Forum Club, and currently serving on both the Emergency Preparedness Subcommittee and the Covenants Committee.

Cynthia explains: “One of the things I’ve done all my life, as far back as I can remember, is to connect people to each other. Living here is the perfect scenario, with all of us starting a new life and finding all these amazing people! Everyone has a story to tell about their outstanding lives. I love finding out what residents might need and connecting them with another person to help them. I believe that’s why I was successful with my careers in sales and marketing.”

One of her current interests is in mentoring young women at Shadow Hills High School through the Ophelia Project. The JFK Foundation, through the Ophelia Project, “empowers and encourages young teens to increase their sense of self worth and maximize their potential contribution to society.” Cynthia meets with seven or eight high school coeds several times a month, hoping to be a positive influence in their lives.

I think you’ll agree with me that Cynthia has a lot of plates in the air. Like many others who help our community thrive, she deserves our respect for her devotion to our SCSH community.

Remember to check out all our videos by visiting the Videos page.

Camaraderie, Competition and Championships

The Sun City Shadow Hills Women’s Golf Club (WGC) was founded in 2005 by residents Nancy Maxwell, Becky Wilcox, Karen Roche, and Ellen Proebstel.  From the 20 original members, the club has grown to an annual enrollment of approximately 200 members.  The WGC plays each Wednesday, during high-season November through May.  Members may choose to play golf from either the gold or silver tees.  The results for each week’s competition are based on individual handicaps and the number of players participating.

The WGC enjoys the camaraderie of the members and the special events scheduled throughout the season.  Some annual events include a Welcome Back Social for all returning members, the Silver Bells Holiday Play Day, a special two-day Guest Event where members invite women golfers from other clubs. The Princess Tournament for best net player and Club Champion for best gross score player is held each year.  In addition, there is the Babes versus Dudes match play against the Men’s Golf Club and the joint Classy Niners and WGC Annual Play Event.

The 2017 Solheim Cup Teams

The Snow Birds North Team

The Sun Birds South Team

Women interested in playing 18 holes of golf each Wednesday in competitive game format are encouraged to apply.  Information on all aspects of the Club can be found at www.SHWGC.com.

Dear Phase 3 Homeowner,

When your home was constructed by Pulte, California law required the installation of a fire sprinkler system to protect against serious injury or death in the event of a fire.  The fire sprinkler system in your home includes Viking VK457 residential concealed fire sprinklers.

Unfortunately, some VK457 fire sprinklers have activated without fire being present, causing water damage to homes and furnishings.  Although the cause of the activations has not been determined in any court and remains in dispute, The Viking Corporation has agreed to replace the VK457 concealed sprinklers in your home at no cost to you.  At no time will anyone attempt to sell you any additional services - this is strictly a program enacted to mitigate any possible future issues with your fire sprinkler system.

To get your fire sprinkler replacement scheduled, please contact us via our website at www.fireinc.net, or contact one of our Replacement Coordinators at 800-915-6472.  Our coordinators will assist you in scheduling the replacement of your fire sprinklers and will be able to answer any questions you might have regarding the replacement.

Should you have any concerns over the validity of the program, please email Pulte customer service at socalservice@pulte.com.

Sincerely,
Fire Sprinkler Systems, Inc.

We all want to feel safe. We live in a beautiful, gated community with regular patrols.

So, what’s the problem?

Recently our beautiful gated community has experienced a rash of incidents including trespassing, malicious mischief, thefts from unlocked vehicles, one incident of assault with a BB gun, and three incidents of animal cruelty.

What can we do, as residents, to help prevent these types of incidents and to feel safe in our community?

Clearly, we cannot prevent ALL incidents, but fortunately, there is a lot we can do. Prevention and safety start with awareness. Awareness of your surroundings, awareness of your personal habits and awareness of your options.

Here are some simple things where awareness will help:

• Get to know your immediate neighbors and watch out for each other.
• Keep your doors and windows locked.
• Keep your garage door closed at all times.
• Lock your vehicles.
• Never leave anything in plain sight in your vehicle.
• Secure your garage door opener - don’t leave opener in plain view.
• Never approach someone that appears suspicious.
• Abide by the 9PM ROUTINE

If you see someone or something that seems out of place - say something.

Contact the Indio Police Department immediately, then call the G4S patrol at the Front Gate. Remember, the G4S patrol is unarmed and cannot make an arrest. They are not the police.

Here are two important numbers to immediately put into your phone:

Indio Police Dept: 760-391-4057

G4S Patrol at the Front Gates: 760-345-4458

Increasing awareness of your surroundings, your personal habits and your options will go a long way in making Sun City Shadow Hills an “undesirable” community for would be thieves.

Scheduling Information for Golf Course: Sun City Shadow Hills - South Golf Course

Treatment Date: 7/23/2018

Technician(s) should arrive between: 6:30 AM - 1:00 PM

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Scheduling Information for Golf Course: Sun City Shadow Hills - North Golf Course

Treatment Date: 7/23/2018

Technician(s) should arrive between: 6:30 AM - 1:00 PM

Golf Course Instructions:

• Shut off all irrigation no later than 9 PM the evening before treatment and keep off until 9 PM the day of treatment.
• NO landscaping projects and/or mowing to be done on the day of treatment.
• If applicable, inform your residents that we will be on property (date/time above) and if they have any pets (animals) to keep indoors or in a secure enclosed area outdoors while our technicians are on property for safety precautions.

Please note a treatment may/will be cancelled by our Field Supervisor/Technician due to weather or if irrigation/mowing instructions are not being followed at time of arrival.

Product Information:

• Control products are water soluble and will render ineffective when in contact with water.
• Control Products are made at a very low dosage, enough to kill an ant and will not harm pets.

If you have any questions/concerns please feel free to contact our office at 760-200-3375 ext. 2301.

Thank You.

The Board of Directors would like to inform residents of a new list of vendors who have registered and paid for their vendor transponders.  Once registered they will be listed as a Transponder-Equipped Vendor. This list can be found on the "Residents Only" page, directly above the "Documents" section.

Homeowner’s are reminded to check the vendor list to make sure their vendors are listed on the Vendor Access Program. If not, residents will be responsible for any violation their vendor makes.

Are you interested in a spinning class? Let us know!

Click Here to Take the Survey

There are 3 possible ways for a vendor to gain access onto Sun City Shadow Hills property, for the purpose of providing services to residents.

PROGRAM 1:

• Vendors are allowed 5 Vendor SERVICE PASSES per month.
  • This type of access is used for vendors who are coming onto the property occasionally for 1 day.
  • The homeowner MUST call one of the gates and place the vendor on their guest list by Company Name.
  • The homeowner MUST call the gate every time vendor access is needed for work on the property.
  • The homeowner is NOT responsible for the vendor while on Sun City Shadow Hills property.

PROGRAM 2:

• The NON-Transponder Program allows the vendor to gain access to the property by using the 5 SERVICE PASSES per month, without the homeowner calling the gate.
  • Vendors are required to complete the non-program form providing and maintaining current registration, current insurance and a valid driver’s license.
  • Vendors in this program are placed on the resident’s Permanent guest list. The homeowner does not need to call the gate, nor is the homeowner responsible for the vendor while on SCSH property.

PROGRAM 3:

• The Transponder Program allows vendors unlimited access privileges through all 6 gates in Sun City Shadow Hills ONLY during vendor hours.
  • Vendors are required to complete the Transponder Program Form, providing and maintaining current registration, current insurance and a valid driver’s license.
  • Vendors in this program are placed on the Permanent Vendor List.
  • When the vehicle with the transponder is unavailable, the vendor must use the guest lane and acquire one of the 5 SERVICE PASSES still available to a vendor in this program. The homeowner is NOT responsible for the vendor while on SCSH property.

Vendors must contact Randy Kardos, Safety, Phase 3 Front-gate, to secure Vendor Access Program forms, (760) 342-4725, ext. 2053.

As with any program, special circumstances will, from time to time, present themselves. Please call Mark Galvin, Community Safety Director, (760) 342-2850, ext. 2202, who will work toward an equitable resolution in the best interest of our residents.

Your water-pressure relief valve (PRV) is the most important piece of safety equipment in your home. There’s no margin for error.

In residential properties, the pressure regulator is likely a “direct-acting” PRV. Direct-acting PRVs automatically reduce the incoming water pressure from the municipal supply or water main to a level that is less likely to cause operating or safety problems in the home. Water entering the PRV from municipal mains is constricted within the valve body and directed through the inner chamber controlled by an adjustable spring-loaded diaphragm and disc. Even if the supply water pressure fluctuates, the PRV ensures a constant flow of water at a functional pressure, as long as the supply pressure does not drop below the PRV’s preset pressure.

Generally accepted plumbing practices recommend testing the PRV every 12 months and replacing it every three to five years. That’s much less expensive than replacing home appliances, which can be damaged from improper water pressure. Water pressure variances put stress on dishwashers, washing machines, and other appliances and can lead to more frequent appliance repairs or permanent damage.

Reducing high water pressure should extend the life of your appliances and fixtures. However, nobody wants to shower under a barely trickling shower-head. The trick is to find the right balance, so that you don’t suffer through a shower that feels like it’s being poured out of a garden watering can.

How do you know if it’s time for a replacement?

Age matters because the unit has springs inside, and the springs can lose tension over time. In addition, the desert environment can be hard on the seals. Usage matters as well. If you are a full-time resident, your usage will be higher.

Is it more cost-effective to repair or replace?

Most often PRV replacement is simply more cost-effective than repair (about $250). The PRVs on our homes are considered small, so replacement usually costs less than preventive maintenance and repair. It will certainly cost less to replace the valve than to pay for any damage you might incur from keeping it in service past its prime!

As always, use a licensed plumber when contracting this work.

Resources:

• Angie’s List experts
• Allied Valve Inc.

Pools are a great way to beat the heat! However, summer weather can do a number on your pool; haboobs deposit dirt, blustery winds deliver flowers and leaves, strange bugs from the Salton Sea move in, and rain washes yard debris right into your pool.

Just like cleaning up after the big July 4th party, your pool needs regular maintenance to keep the water crystal clear. Besides regular chemicals and filter cleaning, your pool’s filter may need an occasional flush, called backwashing. Whether you are doing the cleaning or you have a weekly pool service, it is important to remember only rain goes down the storm drain.

In Sun City Shadow Hills it is a code violation to discharge pool filter (rinse or backwash) water from your property into storm drains per section 7.5 and 7.6 of the Design Rules. The water likely contains chlorine, bromine, algaecides, biocides, water conditioners, stabilizers, and other chemicals that can persist in the environment for a long time. These materials and other pollutants accumulate over time and cause environmental damage. Additionally, SCSH captures this water for use on the golf course.

Do your part to protect the environment and avoid getting a violation notice by disposing of pool or spa filter rinse water into the soil in your yard. Be sure to kindly remind your pool service of this rule as you are responsible for their actions.

If you have opted to maintain your own pool, here is a great online article on How to clean your filters: http://all-about-water-filters.com/how-to-clean-your-pool-filter-ultimate-guide/

We thank all homeowners for your cooperation in keeping our environment clear of contaminants.

Last week we wrote about where dog walking is encouraged in Sun City Shadow Hills.  This week’s article is about where NOT to walk your dogs, particularly, NOT on the golf course.

As a reminder, there is absolutely NO parking or dog-walking along the north side of Avenida Sombra where it intersects with Sun City Boulevard.  The curb there is painted red to signify NO Parking or dog walking, as this area has been determined to be a safety risk. [insert map link, Division 11 pg 81].

Many residents have thought that the grassy areas touching the street were not part of the golf course, but when Sun City Shadow Hills was developed, any portion of the property that was designated golf course by Del Webb/Pulte, was in fact, legally deeded as golf course and not Common Area.

2.20.4 of Rules & Regulations

“Pets are not permitted on any golf course at any time.

Exception: Other than No Dog walking at Avenida Sombra where Avenida Sombra meets Sun City Blvd. behind hole number 7, all other areas where the golf course crosses a street, you may walk your dog along the edge of the golf course as long as you and your dog do not walk beyond nine feet (9’) from the edge of the street or sidewalk.”

Accepted by the Board 1-29-18

Security has been issuing warnings to pet owners who were not complying with this rule. However, residents should understand that failure to comply with the dog-walking rules & regulations will result in security issuing citations from now on.

The HOA strongly encourages pet owners to read the rules and regulations pertaining to pets within our community. The rules can be found in the Sun City Shadow Hills Community & Telephone Directory 2017/2018 on page 29, or within the Community website in the Resident Only section on page 15.

Pet owners are responsible for the removal and proper disposal of their pet’s litter from the common areas, as well as the pet parks. Please be a responsible pet owner and pick up after your pets, no matter where they do their business!!!