CONTRACTOR’S MEETING

On March 17th there was a meeting at the club house put on by the Oregon Construction Contractors Board. Few were on attendance, but the information was very important to those who may be thinking of repairs or remodeling this summer. Ron Thomas wrote about the meeting on our web site and part of that is quoted here.

"There were only 8 or 9 of us and that was counting Dave and Larry. Folks, you should know what the enforcement officer, Tina Thomas, was saying. You are in danger of being severely ripped off and I feel inadequate to tell you about all the questions and answers from our small group, but I will try to generalize a few key points for you. Then we are going to setup a link here on the page where you can go to check out a contractor and see how many complaints have been made against him. You can see if his CCS # is current and up to date, which means his insurance and bonding are covering his work. Finally, you can file a complaint here and the Board will make the contractor comply and/or fine him.

Larry Henson said he used to have a general contracting license and asked Tina to describe a legal document called "CONTRACTOR'S NOTICE OF LIEN". This document is supposed to be given to you with your and the contractor's signatures on it before works begins. Tina (the enforcement officer) said this has been lax here on the coast with many contractors not mentioning it or telling their customers that they don't need it. So, why is this so big a deal?

Let's create a contract here, so we can see what could happen. ABC ROOFING contracts with you to install a new roof on your house. Ray is the contractor and seems like a nice guy. He drives a new car and dresses well and is very polite and respectful. You ask Ray for his CCS number, so you can come to our website link and check him out. If he gets upset or doesn't give you the number, he probably doesn't have one or the one he has is not valid. This would be a good time to drop him like a hot potato.

But, let's say Ray does give you a number, you sign a contract and ask for a Contractor's Notice of Lien. Ray says you don't really need that anymore and, because he is polite, dresses well, and drives that new car, you figure "OK" and you don't get that document signed by him.

If Ray abandons the job, leaving it undone, that's bad enough, but guess what? Lumberman’s delivered $5000 worth of roofing material to your house. Ray ordered it, so he is responsible right? WRONG!!!! Ray is off the hook because you did not get that document signed by him and you, the "CONTRACTOR'S NOTICE OF LIEN." Lumberman's will now get their money from you! If a contractor doesn’t give you the aforementioned document and you report it to the CCS, he will be fined $1000.

Tina also said to never, NEVER give the contractor full payment before the job starts; half usually up front and the rest at completion is acceptable.

You have recourse to file a complaint with the contractor’s board if a job is not completed by an agreed upon time, if that date is written in the contract, but you may have a problem if you don't have a completion date put in there. The complaint must be filed within a year of work completion. When the complaint is filed the board typically gives the contractor 90 days to fix the problem. Then, they will go after his insurance and bonding to get the money to fix the problem. This will raise his rate for insurance and bonding, so it is not to his advantage to ignore the problem.

Tina emphasized that it is a common practice for a contractor to give you a price break because they had left over material from another job. Usually that material is what they took off someone else's home and not new, so you get used stuff... Not a good thing."

MAY BIRTHDAYS

NANCY LEE MOORE 2nd

PEG ROSICA 16th

ARLETA LUCHT 20th

JOY NEWMAN 22nd

If we have made any errors, please help us correct them by giving any additions or corrections to Betty Scott. Betty would appreciate hearing from all new folks with birth date info. Please place info in her LVH box #92.

SUNSHINE

During the month of April, cards were sent to Karen Park, Sylvia Smith, Sharon Banga, Pat Draper, and Freda Holt.

If you know of anyone who needs a card, please contact Jean Hart, our Sunshine Committee Chairperson, at 574-6846. We want them to know that their neighbors are thinking of them.

FOOD SHARE/MAIL CARRIER

There will be a food drive for Food Share which involves the mail carrier, who will pick up our canned food at the clubhouse. Bring your donations to the clubhouse on May 6th and put them in the box under the table. Our mail carrier (Ron) will take them to the proper location. This is an annual drive and it will help a lot of hungry people.

LONGVIEW HILLS
SOCIAL CLUB

Jim Rose gave a report on the progress of painting fresh house numbers on the curbs so that emergency vehicles etc. can more easily find a correct address. Jim McCrea reported that Larry Henson, Manager, gave an alternative, a plaque with large numbers in the front yard. Jim will call the city planner to determine cost for the plaques and numbers.

Spring Dinner was great! Thanks to all who participated and all who enjoyed the feast. Next affair at the Clubhouse will be the Uno de Mayo Potluck Dinner. The May 22nd breakfast at the Clubhouse will have a charge of $3.50/person due to the rising cost of food. Motion made by Jim Rose for a charge of $1.00/person for all potluck dinners after June 1st, seconded by Marlene Crites. Motion passed.

There will be a new sign-up sheet on the bulletin board with information for new residents to sign up for the 'blinking red light (emergency light)'. Ron Thomas has offered his services and those of his assistants to install this light for all who desire it.

An offer was made to donate a piano for the Clubhouse - motion made by Wally Garber, seconded by Jackie Memoli to not accept this piano. Membership present voted 11 – 7. So no piano.

Information above was from the minutes of Nancy Lee Moore, Secretary.

WELCOME COMMITTEE

Jack and Ginny Scherer, along with Buzzy Byerrum and Bob Abbott, welcomed the following new residents to Longview Hills during the month of April.

Marie Jelen is a long time Oregonian, coming here from Waldport. Her new address is 609 NE 59th Street, Space #55. Her phone is 574-9058.

Paul and Dolores Waehlte are Northwesterners, having resided in both Washington and several areas of Oregon, coming to Longview Hills from Waldport. Their new home is at 6040 NE Evergreen, Space #61. Their phone is 574-1589.

If you know of anyone moving into your area, please contact Jack & Ginny at 265-5529 and pass the information on to them. If you are new to the park and have not received a visit from the Welcome Committee, please call and let them know.

SALVATION ARMY/FOOD SHARE

Thanks to all who have given to either or both of these groups in the past 11 months. Food Share received 81 pounds of food and Salvation Army received 4 big banana boxes full of miscellaneous materials including some new sweaters. Thank you all for your generosity.

Don Newman

AFFAIRS TO REMEMBER

Uno de Mayo Potluck
Saturday, May 1st, 6:30 PM

Block Captains Meeting
Wednesday, May 5th, 3:00 PM

Mother’s Day Potluck
Sunday, May 9th, 1:00 PM

Birthday Party
Sunday, May 16th, 2:00 PM

Social Club Meeting
Monday, May 17th, 4:00 PM

Community Breakfast
Saturday, May 22nd, 8:00 AM

Ladies Coffee
Tuesday, April 25th, 10:00 AM

Newsletter Deadline
Tuesday, April 25th, 5:00 PM

ABOUT TOWN - MAY 2004

1-2 Loyalty Days & Sea Fair
with Parade - 1st at 12:00 PM
Newport
541-265-2211 or 265-8263

8-9 Glastonbury Renaissance Faire
South Beach State Park
No parking at park
New parking information, call
541-265-2787

14-16 Seafood and Wine Festival
Chinook Winds Casino
1-888-CHINOOK

31 Fleet of Flowers
Depoe Bay - 1:00 PM
541-765-2889

LIBRARY NEWS

The three new bookcases were purchased, assembled, and are now in use. For those who have borrowed books in the past, you will notice the changes.

New signs have been made and placed on the bookcases to guide you. The hard covered books are now in the craft room. As in the past, fiction paperbacks and mystery books are in author alpha order. There are many new donations of paperbacks and hardcover books. Thanks to all for their donations.

Thanks to Arlene Klish who donated VCRs to the library. You will want to borrow some excellent movies to view and return for others to enjoy. They are not movies taped at home, but had been purchased.

Suggestions are appreciated.

Library Committee
Cleda Hampton 574-1052
Marian Rogers
James Rogers

GOLF ANYONE?

Irene Repetski will be coordinating the 2004 LVH Golf Tournament, date TBA.

A Bar-B-Que Coordinator will be needed for the event following the golf tournament. If you are interested, contact either Donna Talarski or Irene Repetski.

LEE SEZ

From time to time, I'm being questioned by our residents about our foundation vents: should they be open or closed...if so when? When we put the first few homes in here, it was seemingly not a big issue. The state didn't have any hard and fast rules as to what we did with them. Then came the "super-good-cents" houses with all their "energy efficient" trappings and we suddenly had new regulations on what we were supposed to do or not do. They now wanted all foundation vents open year around and specified the minimum number you had to have as per given size of house.

Most all the perimeter blocking we put in, used a plastic, dual window ventilator that had shutters on them so you could close them if needed. Some of the last units may have used vents that had no shutters because, by that time, it had become mandatory that they be left open.

There are a couple schools of thought about having the vents open year around, given our location so close to the ocean here. If we leave them all open during our "winter-rainy" season, then we're exposing all the steel under-carriage of our homes to a very salty sea air that rusts all the exposed steel parts like crazy. This is bound to eventually shorten the usable life of the floor supports in years to come. So, I would be in favor of closing them during this time and opening all of them during our drier times. I also suggest putting a screen of some sort over the access (to keep varmints from taking up residence under your house) and then leaving the cover open all summer.

Lee Watkins

POTLUCK DINNERS

What can one say about Potlucks? Great, wonderful, yummy, or who made that dish are some of the things that come to mind. At Longview Hills we are renowned for having good cooks and, when they come together, it is an affair to remember. Jacky Thomas has taken potlucks one-step further by coordinating specific types of potluck dinners. The first one this year will be Uno de Mayo (May 1st) at 6:30 PM for Potluck Mexican Style, at the Longview Hills Clubhouse.

Over the years many have enjoyed the clubhouse and, like some of us, the equipment is wearing down. We have been brainstorming ideas about how to raise money to replace furniture and equipment as needed. One suggestion presented at the April Social Club meeting was charging a nominal fee at potluck dinners. This will assist in offsetting the cost for kitchen supplies and, in time, help to build the fund for equipment replacement. A motion was presented to the floor and passed unanimously to charge:
$1.00 per person at all potluck dinners after June 1, 2004.

Our hope is not to discourage anyone from attending, but to encourage. Nowhere in Newport can one dine, enjoy the good company with such great food for the price. So dust off your recipes, make your favorite Mexican dish, grab your señor or señorita, and join us on May 1st. You won't be disappointed!

UNO DE MAYO
POTLUCK DINNER

Why an Uno de Mayo (1st of May) Dinner? It's too close to the Mother's Day Dinner if we held it on the fifth. Bring your best Mexican Dish. Dinner starts at 6:30 PM. No happy hour this time as there is a private function until 6:00 PM.

Bring your entire place settings: FORKS, KNIVES, SPOONS, DISHES, AND GLASSES. Folks did not want to do the clean-up last time, so everyone can bus their utensils at home.

We need to help replenish the Social Club's Kitty, so we will ask for a free will donation of $1.00 for the Kitty. Free Will means you don't have to if you don't want to.

All come and enjoy one of our great get-togethers. New neighbors and old are welcome. If you bring guests, make sure your dish is large enough to feed the extra folks.

Viva la Mexico!!!

BLOCK CAPTAIN NOTIFICATION

On Monday, April 5th, Larry Henson notified the Coordinator for the Block Captains, Jackie Memoli, that the water would be shut off on Tuesday, April 6th, between the hours of 8:00 AM and 11:00 AM.

Jackie called all the Block Captains available, so they could call their neighbors. Unfortunately, not all were available and the list of alternates is incomplete. Jackie needs this information, so everyone can be notified in like situations. If there is no alternate, the Block Captain should try to get one.

Jackie also needs addresses, phone numbers, and any other information necessary to make this work. There are forms available if you need a new one. Jackie’s phone number is 265-7405 and her e-mail is JJMEMOLI@Charter.net. Her address is 628 NE 55th Street.

Jackie is calling a Block Captain Meeting on May 5th at 3:00 PM. Please come with as much information as possible and any ideas you may have to make this work more smoothly.

BREAKFAST VOLUNTEERS

We are in need of an additional breakfast team. There is a sign-up sheet in the clubhouse on the bulletin board to the left of the mail table. Help keep our breakfasts going. You will receive help in knowing what to do, until you can get started on your own.

IZZY’S COUPON BOOKS

The Izzy’s coupon books are here and available for sale. The sign-up sheet is posted at the clubhouse. There is an opportunity to sell these books outside of Longview, if we can get the woman/man power. Some ideas are as follows:

1. Table in front of Wal-Mart or Fred Meyer on Saturday – 4 people could work 2-hour shifts.

2. Setup an appointment to be at Pacific Shores Community Clubhouse – 2 people could work 2 hours during the week for one day.

3. Contact Senior Center in Newport – 2 people could be there around lunch any day during the week.

4. Newport police and fire departments.

These are just a few of the possibilities. Remember we are a Not for Profit Organization and an over 55 community. This allows us a special status, plus the fact that $4.00 out of every $5.00 goes to charity.

Bottom Line: we need people to be involved. A few folks cannot cover all the options. If you have ever used the clubhouse or intend to use it in the future, then you have the responsibility to help maintain it for our current and future needs. If you choose to help sell, give me a call at 265-5530.

To refresh your memory, our Social Club keeps $1.00 from each book sold. Some of the money will be used to replace the Clubhouse chairs.

Donna Talarski

PICKLE BALL

Are you interested in learning to play Pickle Ball? It is best described as ping pong on a tennis court. The court is about half the size of a tennis court and, when playing doubles, you get some exercise without killing yourself. It is played with wood or composite paddles and a, soft ball sized, plastic ball.

It is a lot of fun and has caught on in many senior and RV parks. You can express your interest through the Social Club or contact Dick Garvey at 574-7372 or LVH Box #90.

DRUG COST ASSISTANCE

The cost of drugs has become a big issue, with many older folks buying pharmaceuticals from Canada over the Internet. The pharmaceutical industry is offering an alternative--a site that can guide you to financial assistance.

The site has a survey form with several questions. Based on your answers, it will direct you to one or more assistance programs. None of the information you submit identifies you. You can also use the site to search for benefits by drug company. And the site has links to other helpful sites. You'll find the site at: http://www.helpingpatients.org

LADIES COFFEE

Don’t forget the Ladies Coffee on Tuesday, May 25th, at 10:00 AM. This is a wonderful opportunity to get acquainted with your neighbors.

SECURE ONLINE COMMERCE

Your banking and credit account numbers, your social security number, and your address and telephone number are the types of information that define your identity. Online banking and e-commerce have done wondrous things for consumer productivity and convenience. Protection of this type of information has always been critically important, even in the offline, paper world, and long before widespread use of computers or the advent of the web. Yet, in our more interconnected, digital world of bits and bytes and rapid data exchange, this type of information is also more vulnerable to unauthorized access and subsequent theft.

How can consumers protect themselves? Properly dispose of credit card statements and offers by shredding. Before providing identity information online, make sure the site is endorsed by trusted seal issuers such as VeriSign or TRUSTe. Never give out personal information on the phone, through the mail, or over the Internet unless you’ve initiated contact or are sure you know who you’re dealing with. When browsing online, ensure that any program or add-in is downloaded from a trusted source with a valid security certificate.

Use firewall technologies and keep anti-virus and security software current. Regularly update operating system software to ensure you are running the most current version.

Consumers with cable modems or digital subscriber line (DSL) Internet access should protect their home networks by adding routers equipped with firewalls.