Web Site: We now have a website up and running. Check out www.oakwoodeast.org. The bylaws and covenants, and various community links are now posted. Linda Coates is Co-Web Master with our Director Robert Stone. We appreciate the job both are doing, and especially all the time Linda put in to initially establish the site. A “Discussion Board” and “Community News” section are included, but content will be reviewed prior to posting

A Note from the OEHA President:

I found recorded in one of our 1994 Minutes of a Director’s Meeting, the problem of trespassing at our common areas. At that time there were about 300 homes, now we have 600 homes. Stickers/decals for resident vehicles were discussed and rejected.

This problem continues to afflict the residents of Oakwood East. Many residents are concerned about who is using our facilities and the safety of our children. Other residents say they pay $145.00 a year to use the common areas and no one should fish, use the play ground or the path free. Many residents don’t even use the pond/play ground areas and still pay their assessments with no complaint. Maintenance of the entrances is also included in the assessments of course, and residents do appreciate and enjoy their refurbishment as they enter and leave our addition.
Vehicle “stickers/decals” or a resident card can’t work because that only identifies our residents. We want those who are not our guests to be warned in writing – then we have legal recourse. The police will not help us. A resident of Oakwood East came up with the idea of writing down tag numbers and getting them printed so we know who is using our facilities. The police have warned us not to confront people using the common areas because confrontation can become dangerous. Some of the letters and phone calls I’ve received in response bear that out. Over 60 letters have been sent out telling trespassers not to return unless they are willing to pay. Only 7 have been guest, so we’re making progress to keep our park safe and private. We’ve only been doing this for 4 weeks and our residents wholeheartedly support our efforts.

Some guests have been sent letters, but most residents understand and have been friendly when calling to give me their guest’s tag numbers. There are mistakes made, so I apologize for any agitation. You can help us accommodate your guest(s) that accompany you to our park and prevent us sending them a trespassing letter by calling or e-mailing their tag number to me if their vehicle is used.

Snakes: As requested last year, we’re trying to put something out to keep the snakes away from the path and playground. We’ve put out Snake-A-Way again this year.

Beavers: Destruction of our trees around the pond areas has been costly. We are experiencing even more beavers coming across 15th Street north of the spillway (you’ve probably noticed all the trees damaged in that area too). We’ve had a licensed federal trapper come look at our problem and he suggested we wrap the trees with wire. He stated that Oak Tree Golf Course had to wrap their trees also to protect them from beavers. We’re still trying to find someone to wrap our trees so they will be protected.

Help Needed: We’re interested in an adult resident that would weed the 13 flower gardens, pick up trash and some other menial tasks. This would be a part-time (about 60 hours a year – mostly in the summer), hourly pay, private contractor type position. The person would need to be available during regular business hours, pay to be negotiable. If interested contact one of the Directors.

Watch out for our Children: In Oakwood East addition the streets are quite hilly and steep. Children are walking, roller-bladeing, biking and skate boarding down these hills. Children are often focused and don’t realize the danger as they enter and cross streets. It is only going to take one time for some child to be killed or seriously injured by a vehicle, and we will all be distressed, but it will be too late! We know vehicles speed in our addition, and the drivers have their mind on one thing and the children have their mind on their activity. We should warn our children to be careful, but it is the vehicle driver who is RESPONSIBLE!