June 2014 — N 1406
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Next HOA Meeting
The next HOA meeting will be the first Tuesday of August 2014 (8/5/14) at 7:00PM at the Depot (at Pass and Katherine Rds.)
SOAR Renewal
The SOAR 2050 renewal Campaign is starting and while the current initiative expires at the end of this decade there is movement to enact a renewal in the Fall Election of 2016.
What is SOAR? SOAR is Save Open-Space and Agricultural Resources – a non-profit organization whose mission is to make Ventura County a better place to live by limiting urban sprawl, protecting open space and agricultural lands, and promoting livable and sustainable communities in the county and surrounding regions. We work through grassroots community action, education, policy development and advocacy, in partnership with citizens and diverse coalitions.
For more information visit the SOAR website.
Snakes
Our rural environment is home to much wildlife – snakes included! The non-venomous snakes: Gopher Snakes, King Snakes and Garter Snakes are not threatening and an important part of our environment, but Rattle Snakes are venomous and can be a threat to humans and pets.
The photo on the left shows a rattle snake which was caught in the Knolls on Clear Spring Rd.
Discourage rattlesnakes by keep the area around your home clear from debris, piles of wood or rocks. For more information click here.
Fire Station 43
Station 43 has been designated as surplus property by the City of Simi
Valley. Pursuant to state law, the city must offer the property to various
government agencies and if there is no interest the property can be sold to
any other interested party. On May 22, 2014 official notices were sent to:
Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District, Ventura County Parks
Department, Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, Simi Valley Unified
School District, County of Ventura, California State Resources Agency, and the Area
Housing Authority of Ventura County.
These entities have 60 days to notify the City in writing of their intent to purchase the property from the City. The City will enter into negotiations with interested parties regarding the terms of the sale.
The Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District was very interested in the property 2 years ago and their interest in the property was somehow ignored in the transfer of the Station from County to City ownership. The SKHA Board understands that the Park District is still interested in the property and we hope that they are successful in obtaining the property.
Rocketdyne — The Inside Job
A recently released Consumer Watchdog report titled Inside Job: How Boeing Fixers Captured Regulators and Derailed a Nuclear and Chemical Cleanup in LA’s Backyard, is not only a great read but an important must know document for every resident within the 10 mile radius of the Santa Susana Field Lab (i.e San Fernando, Conejo, Santa Clarita and Simi Valleys).
Download the report here and plan to attend the off-site exposures meeting next week. Meeting details follow below. See you there!
Rocketdyne - more
Learn About Potential for Offsite Exposures from the Santa Susana Field Laboratory
NEXT SSFL WORK GROUP MEETING
Wednesday, June 18th 6:30 PM
at the Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center
3050 E. Los Angeles Avenue, Simi Valley, CA 93065
The meeting will include a featured presentation on:
Potential for Offsite Exposures Associated with the Santa Susana Field Laboratory - Dr. Yoram Cohen, Professor of Chemical Engineering, UCLA Institute for the Environment and Sustainability, Director of the Water Technology Research Center and the Center for Environmental Risk Reduction. Professor Cohen headed a team of researchers from UCLA and other institutions that conducted a multi-year study funded by the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry on potential migration of contaminants from SSFL to nearby communities. For more information visit their website here.
Sparks
A tree fell on my property last April and mangled a metal corral. The ancient oak tree was cut up and hauled away and a metal salvager cut up the mangled stall with a metal saw and hauled it away. Minutes after the salvager’s pick-up truck left my driveway I smelled smoke, but I could not identify the source. I scanned the horizons looking for the telltale column of smoke of a brush fire and saw none. Maybe my neighbors had a fire-pit going? In the middle of the day? As I stood near the place where my majestic oak tree once stood wondering about my neighbors’ peculiar fire habits I noticed a spit of smoke rising up from near my feet. A small bark fragment from the fallen tree was on fire with a small flame that was barely visible in the noon day sunlight. I acted quickly and watered the fragment with the water hose. I spent the next 30 minutes drenching the area and raking the saw dust debris and drenching again.
I was lucky that day, as was my neighborhood. Had I gone inside after the workman left, I would never have noticed the small bark piece on fire. Had it been a windy day, too, my entire backyard would have been in flames in a few minutes, not to mention the surrounding areas! ALL from a few wayward sparks from a workman’s metal saw!
Fire catastrophes are not just the fault of strangers with careless cigarette or campfire habits. Sometimes a bad fire can happen just from oversight or lack of preparation for a construction project. Back east where it rains all year long, a few small sparks are insignificant. Here where drought is becoming a way of life, a small spark could set the state on fire. Watch out for those tiny sparks and have a safe, fire free summer everyone. —EDITOR
This newsletter is a production of the Santa Susana Knolls Homeowners Association (SSKHA). If you have any questions, comments, or feedback, please let us know. Please share this newsletter with your neighbors. You do not have to be a member of the SSKHA to be on our email list. To subscribe to this newsletter click here. If you are a member of the HOA we really do not want you to unsubscribe but if you must, you can use this link: unsubscribe. The newsletter is produced from the spacious Santa Susana Knolls town center offices at 1409 Kuehner, No. 5, Santa Susana, CA 93063.