Was it Fruit of the Loom?

I hope you all had a peaceful Holiday.

Tonight, around 11:00 p.m., while walking our dogs, we came across one of Capital Security's guards. He asked us if we had seen a man running around in his underwear. It seems he saw his girlfriend sleeping among the bushes in the small greenbelt across the "poop" deposit on Commons Drive. I asked him about how old was this woman. He said that she must have been in her thirties. The guard told her to leave and she said she was waiting for her boyfriend who was running around in his underwear. Could it have been our friend who rides around on a bike playing loud music? I asked myself. Well we might never know. What I do know is that we have to be watchful and report any strange events to Nepenthe and/or the Tattler.

Sleep tight and don't let the bed bugs bite,

The Tattler

A Word to the Wise

It has been a while since my last post.  It's sad that the cold traps us in our own houses and we never get to see each other like we did when the pool was open. Well, I'm back!

This information was relayed to me by one of my neighbors:

"I have a spigot on the front of my place that the gardeners, and Nepenthe contractors use. I have never touched it but when it broke I was responsible for the plumbing repair because it is a part of the water system in my unit. This will become an issue when we get on meters and have to pay for our own water use. And I took issue with the fact that Nepenthe contractors caused wear and tear. I had it capped so now no one can use it now!"

I then proceded to ask her when she had heard the meters would be installed.  She said she didn't know but was prepared for the shock. Her friend in a Parkway neighborhood in South Sacramento has a community garden (40x40ft) and after the meters were installed her bill went to $700 for 2 months. She thinks that our HOA is going to get a big surprise whenever it happens.

The Tattler

Thank you Nepenthe!

As you may all know by now, the Dunbarton Pool and spa is closed as of today. We are grateful to have been given the extended use of the Dunbarton pool and spa.

LARRY SIGHTING TODAY!

For all of you who don't know who Larry is, he visited Campus Commons today around 2:30 pm and I was able to take a video of him. He hovered around us at least 4 times. It made us extremely nervous. As usual, he was playing loud music that can be heard in the video. I apologize I could not film him longer but I didn't want to be too obvious to the point of provoking him more than I had to.

Here is the video.

I reported to the Nepenthe office at once.  Here is a photograph I was able to take from the video.  Sorry it is not too clear.

Happy Halloween!

Here is one of our neighbors with Sammi the pumpkin and Scruffy the devil.

Sounds Like a Broken Record, but.....

Today, Sunday, I was informed that the doors to the Dunbarton cabana were locked. This poses a health hazard. As you may recall, this must be at least the sixth Sunday this has happened. I keep asking the same question: who is responsible for opening and closing the cabanas? Since Nepenthe cannot handle such intricate details, I think the solution would be to give all residents a set of keys that would give them access to the cabanas.

Second "Larry" Sighting in Two Weeks

Be on the lookout!  Larry is on a bicycle on Dunbarton Circle.  This is the second Sunday I see him in this immediate area.  Today I spotted him at 1:30 p.m. He has his long hair up in a ponytail. You can also recognize him by the thongs he has on his feet.  Not exactly the type of shoes one wears to ride a bike. What business, if any, brings him here?

Please report other sightings through comments or by e-mailing me. 

Offer of Shutters

I received this request.

Hello - This may not be the perfect forum, but... We've just replaced our master bdrm shutters and hate to throw the old ones away as they are in near perfect condition. We have a 5500 model. The shutters just pop into the framing and are FREE to a good home. Anyone interested or know of a quick way to communicate the offering to the residents, call me - 916-240-0192 Thanks, Renee

URGENT: Board Meeting on Wednesday, October 26th.

Fellow Homeowners:

Please plan to attend the Board Meeting this coming Wednesday, October 26,  as the 2012 budget will be discussed.  The meeting begins at 5 p.m., but the budget will be discussed at 6 p.m.  Several homeowners are very concerned with the increases in homeowner's dues being discussed.  Nepenthe's dues are already the highest in Campus Commons.  With the present economy and the fact that many homeowners are on fixed incomes, these dues increases will affect sales and cause some homeowners to move out of the Nepenthe area.

In order to remain competitive with the other associations, one possibility is for the association to consider eliminating flood insurance.  This would result in an annual savings of $212,000.  Each homeowner, of course, could elect to continue coverage under an individual policy.  Because the coverage and rates are set by FEMA, the cost to the individual homeowner would remain basically the same.  Campus Commons is no longer in a designated flood plain and therefore flood insurance is not required.  The California Department of Water Resources states that our area has a one percent chance of flooding which translates to 100-year flood protection.

Nepenthe is the only homeowner's association in campus commons that covers flood insurance.  As well, Exeter Square, Wyndgate, East Ranch and University Park do not cover flood insurance for homeowners.

If you are interested in keeping the dues stable, please plan to attend this important meeting.

Halloween Invitation

Because of a more important announcement regarding a homeless cat, even though we are not crazy about them, we decided to put off our invitation until today.

All our canine friends are cordially invited to dress up for Halloween on Monday, October 31st.  There will be biscuits at 100 Dunbarton Circle, and pictures will be taken by our humans to be published in The Village Tattler.

A toy will be raffled off at the end of the day.  So come on over and get your raffle number.

Sammi and Scruffy

I NEED A HOME!

I WAS RESCUED AT CAMPUS COMMONS ON 9/28/11.   I AM ABOUT 2-3 YEARS OLD.  I AM AN INDOOR CAT. I WILL GO OUT IF MY GUARDIAN ACCOMPANIES ME. I  LOVE PEOPLE AND ENJOY BEING CLOSE TO THEM.  I WILL NOT SCRATCH YOUR FURNITURE AND WILL NOT WAKE YOU UP. I WILL BE RESPECTFUL OF YOUR SCHEDULE.  MY RESCUER CARES ABOUT ME VERY MUCH BUT HE CAN’T KEEP ME BECAUSE OF HIS NEED TO TRAVEL OUT OF THE COUNTRY FOR EXTENDED PERIODS OF TIME.  RESCUE AGENCIES ARE FULL.  I SUFFERED BEING HOMELESS FOR A WHILE AND NOW I NEED A GOOD HOME.     

IF YOU LOST ME OR WISH TO ADOPT ME PLEASE CALL 916-261-8901

Reversal of Pool Closing Decision

Dear friends,

This morning there was a reversal of the decision made by the Nepenthe office to close the Dunbarton pool and spa on Friday, October 14th.  I got a very nice e-mail from Otis Turner apologizing for the problems caused by this decision and informing me that the board had ordered the pool to be reopened until the weather turns.

He also said that the pool and spa lights have been ordered. I hope they get them soon as the area is very dark for us who enjoy walking at night.

I hope we will continue to enjoy the last days of warmth in our magnificent pool and spa.

They Did it Again!

Yesterday’s heat (85 degrees) sent me to the Dunbarton pool. I wanted to go swimming and use the spa to find relief for my aching sciatica. I was not alone, there I saw the regulars at the pool (about 10) at around 4:00 p.m. To my surprise, the heat in the pool and the spa had been turned off. Another resident pointed to the sign in the door of the cabana. It said that the pool will be closed today Saturday, October 15^th.

We were all disappointed that in spite of a petition made by a resident (see my October 13^th post), made in the name of all of us who enjoy swimming at the Dunbarton pool, to extend the use of the pool until October 31^st, our request went unanswered. I have talked with other residents who have called the Nepenthe office to make the same request and were told that the mentioned petition would be brought up at the next board meeting (they thought it would be the beginning of next week) and that a decision was pending whether to close it on October 15^th or extend the closing to October 31^st. However, the sign on the door shows a disregard for a very friendly petition and for the calls from concerned residents. What is more troubling in all this is that the sign said the closing would be on Saturday, October 15^th and yet, Nepenthe made the pool and spa unusable on Friday October 14^th. It  seems that, again, one of Nepenthe’s hands does not know what the other is doing. I would like to remind my readers that Nepenthe had a sign for the longest time saying the pool and spa lights would be fixed by September 30^th, and to date, no action has been taken.

PLEASE KEEP THE DUNBARTON POOL OPEN THROUGH OCTOBER 31

The following is a contribution from one of the homeowners:

Homeowners and swimmers, using the Dunbarton Pool, would like their pool open until October 31st.  The weather is warm and is forecast to remain beautiful swim weather through the end of October.

Fall is a busy time in real estate. Access to homeowner recreational swimming and tennis are important incentives when homes are up for sale. It would be difficult to convince a potential buyer that Campus Commons is a special place to live (and worth the extra investment) if all the recreational amenities have been stripped bare in the interest of saving a few dollars.

Many buyers would opt for a single family home over condominium living if not for the recreational amenities.  Unheated swimming pools are evidence of declining prestige. Pool maintenance (filtering, chlorination and regular cleaning) is still necessary, even if unheated. It doesn´t cost much more to keep one small pool open April 1st through the end of October.

Sacramento has weather favorable for a longer swimming season. Homeowners, who swim to maintain health and fitness, need their pool and adjoining spa heated from April 1st through October 31st. It´s a waste of first class facilities to abandon them most of the year.

The Tattler would like to add that the lights in the Dunbarton pool and spa have not been installed to date, even though Nepenthe promised to address the problem by September 30th.  Of course, the year was not mentioned.

Dunbarton will be Closed on Thursday and Friday, Weather Permitting.

As Yogi Berra once said:  "It ain't over till it's over". As you may be aware, the paving will continue tomorrow.  This time it's Dunbarton Circle's turn. It will be paved on Thursday and Friday and all Dunbarton residents who have to use this street for parking and otherwise and who need to use their cars on Thursday and Friday, are advised to park their cars on Swarthmore, Vanderbilt and Elmhurst tonight. Please note that Dunbarton will be closed from 6:00 a.m. on Thursday until 6:00 a.m. on Saturday.

Cool at the Dunbarton Pool

As it had been planned for over a month, today we, the swimmers of the Dunbarton pool, had our party.  We were cool at the pool in spite of the noise and the sickening smell of the tar. Of course, this doesn't mean goodbye until next summer. Weather permitting, we will still have a month to enjoy our pool.  Hope the Nepenthe Association doesn't decide to cut the heat off before then.

Here is a photo of our event.

We would appreciate your comments.

Turkeys!

On Sunday, during our daily walk, we counted about 21 turkeys in the neighborhood. It was so nice watching them walk about a worry in the world. 

Capital Patrol

Many residents, including the Tattler, have observed Capital Patrol security personnel at night.  Kudos for Capital and Nepenthe!

Interesting Story

I go almost daily to the J Street FEDEX. On my way back I have noticed a bicycle, completely painted white, tied to a lamp post at the corner of J Street and Carlson.  It always has fresh flowers.  Today I decided to find out why. I would like to share what I found.

 

Weather | Traffic

93° F

RANDY PENCH / rpench@sacbee.com

A "ghost bike" serves as a memorial to Sacramento State University student Arlene Sasse, who was killed near the campus.

Forum near memorial promotes bicycle safety awareness

East Sacramento residents gathered Sunday for a forum on bicycle safety just blocks from where two "ghost bikes" memorialize cyclists killed in collisions with motor vehicles.
One ghost bike – a white-painted bicycle at J Street and Carlson Drive – is a memorial to Arlene Sasse, 22, a Sacramento State University student killed there April 1. Police said the driver didn't see Sasse, whose bicycle lacked lights or reflectors.
The makeshift memorial for the fallen cyclist "speaks to awareness," said Deane Dana, chairman of the McKinley Eastsac Neighborhood Association's Safety Committee.
The association organized the forum at East Sac Bike at 56th and H streets. Sunday was the start of National Bike Month.
Speakers urged drivers to be aware of cyclists, and cyclists to be aware of cars.
Sasse's former college roommate, Brandi McGee, spoke at the event, calling her friend's death a tragedy for those who knew her and for the driver.
Sgt. David Valdez, head of the Sacramento Police Department's bike unit, urged cyclists and drivers to "be courteous. Everybody has to coexist," he said.
Riders must follow the rules of the road, including stopping for traffic lights, Valdez said. Anyone under 18 must wear a helmet. Adults should, too, to protect themselves and set an example, he said. Also, wear bright clothing. Maintain your bike so the brakes work.
Ed Cox, the city of Sacramento's bicycle coordinator, said he'd looked at 10 years of data on collisions between bikes and cars and found a major cause: riding on the wrong side of the road.
Cyclists might feel it's safer for them to ride against traffic to see oncoming cars, he said, but "motorists aren't expecting you there."
Cox said he'd also noticed a huge spike in accidents among riders in their early teens. Parents think the teenagers are old enough to be on their own, yet they lack basic cycling skills, he said.
"They're the ones getting hit the most," he said.
The city is working to add more bike lanes downtown and to build bike bridges, Cox said.

Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/2011/05/02/3593936/forum-near-memorial-promotes-bicycle.html#ixzz1Yip0yLx6

The Motor Home is back!!

As you may already have noticed, this motor home has been parked on Campus Commons on and off for quite some time.  While we respect resident´s rights to park, many dog walkers fear going to the poop deposit that is behind this motor home. 

It would be very much appreciated if the owner of this motor home is asked to move it forward just a few feet so that it would leave the poop deposit free for all dog walkers to use.

Capital Patrol does it again!

In their accustomed attention to detail, Capital Patrol locked the doors to the Dunbarton cabana. This is the 4th Sunday the Tattler knows of that Capitol has left us pool loving residents without access to a bathroom. This time, kudos go to the Nepenthe office. Shannon came by to unlock the cabana and saved the day!

I was just informed that the cabana at the Elmhurst pool was also locked today.

TheTattler asks:

What was all the ruckus about Today, Saturday, at around 10:30 p.m.? It sounded like we were at war.

The Tattler received an email from the President of the Nepenthe Board

A former journalist, I applaud all efforts to disseminate factual information to homeowners.  The Association tries to do a good job with the monthly newsletter, but other voices can be helpful in keeping homeowners informed.

With respect to outsiders using the facilities, or unsatisfactory performance by Capital Patrol or any other vendors, please urge your readers to contact management immediately.  If homeowners are not pleased with the response from management, they should contact me or any Board member.

It is the Board's aim to keep Nepenthe safe and to respond promptly to all homeowner requests for service and information.

Best of luck with The Village Tattler.

Otis Turner

Capital Patrol's version of last night´s Larry sighting

The Tattler called Capital Patrol to speak to Fred, the Manager, to find out if there was an incident report on last night’s call regarding the Larry sighting.  He said that the dispatcher, Brennan gave me the wrong information regarding the shifts because he (Fred) had made a mistake on the scheduling.  He said that someone from Capital was there about 8:05 pm.  I mentioned that by then, it was too late and that I had purposely kept watching on the corner of Commons and Vanderbilt and did not see any Capital Car.  He had a fast answer for that, saying the car was out of gas and that he went by bike or by foot (????).  I asked if it wasn’t procedure to check a car out at the start of a shift to make sure it had a full tank?  He could not answer. He then evaded the question saying that he could not get there from where he was.  He kept changing his explanation, so I left it at that.  Judge for yourselves!!

Lost Chihuahua

It was just reported to me.  A little tan chihuahua ran away from his home in Campus Commons today.  Although he is a male he carries a name tag that reads:  "Ava".  Call 916 924-1676 if you see him.

He's back!

Tonight is full moon and with it Larry’s comeback.  He was spotted by a dog walker around 7:45 p.m. at the Vanderbilt “cul de sac”.  He was on foot this time and he was carrying a boom box that was blasting.  The dog walker reports that when he saw her he hid at a doorway and turned down the music.  She immediately turned around, saw another dog walker coming her way, warned her and they both came to my house so that I could call Capital Patrol.  I immediately called to have them send a guard.  The guy who answered said he was sorry but that the shift started at 10:00 p.m. After arguing back and forth, I asked him to check with his manager and call me back.  About five minutes later he called to apologize for having the wrong information.  That the shifts start at 5:00 p.m. and that someone would respond.  Of course, by that time Larry was probably gone.

I was flabbergasted. Can you imagine?  Capital Patrol has someone answering an emergency hot line and he doesn´t know at what time the shift starts.  No wonder they have locked the door to the Dunbarton Cabana 3 Sundays in a row.

Add all this to the many lights that are out in Campus Commons, plus the missing lights at the Dunbarton pool and spa.  Residents now have to think twice before going out for a walk after dark.

The Lights at the Dunbarton Pool

As the users of the Dunbarton pool may know, most of the lights have gone out at the pool and all lights have gone out at the spa since before the beginning of the summer.  There have been many complaints to the office regarding this issue. A resident wrote to me to say that he made a formal complaint at the Nepenthe office over a month ago and was told that it would be taken care of.  The only measure that has been taken so far is to prohibit residents from using the facilities once the sun goes down.

This is by no means a solution to the problem.  This week, I have received more complaints on this situation.  Many residents like to use the spa after sundown, especially this last week when temperatures hit triple digits with no let down during the evening hours.

The Village Tattler has just found out that...

The name of the person in question may be Larry. The office is taking steps to motivate him to stay away from Nepenthe.

Comments

The Village Tattler reminds all members of the blog to feel free to make comments. 

Today the Tattler found out that......

This man has been spotted by other residents over the last year. One resident reports that she dozed off on her easy chair and, upon waking, she found him spying on her through her window. At another time, she watched him entering the Dunbarton Cabana. Another resident reports having seen him and a woman last summer, swimming in the Dunbarton pool with their clothes on. She remarked that she thought he was no longer around.

Strange Aggressive Male - Property Safety Threat & Disturbance

This was reported by a Campus Commons resident in an email to Shellie Lavalsiti.  Names have been deleted.

Tuesday, August 23rd around 2PM:

I was in the Nepenthe Club House exercise room and I see a  man in his his young twenties (Maybe 5"10, slender, mid-length black hair pulled back into a pony-tale, who both smelled and looked as though he had not bathed in a week and had a very disturbing look in his eyes.  He had some sort of very loud music with him and proceeded to go use the  Nepenthe Male Restroom for about ten minutes.  I waited until he left to go use the sauna as I felt as though he was a possible safety threat.  When he left the room, back into the main lobby, I heard voices and laughing of Nepenthe Staff, so I thought the man might be an Nepenthe employee  and that i was just being paranoid.

Tuesday, August 23rd around 3PM:

I was at University Village, with my dog, who was waiting for me under a table, outside of Starbucks, while I quickly went in and got something to drink.  When I came back to my table, here was this same man with all of his cleaning supplies on my table, starting to come close to my dog.  Well, like any protective mother I rushed right in front of Sookie and I said to the man, "What are you doing, she is an old dog that scares easily, please get away,"  He, proceeded to say with a very loud and aggressive tone, "Whatever lady, FU!"  It was quite startling both to myself and to others around as it all transpired in less than 30 seconds.

Wednesday, August 24th around 10AM:

I briefly mentioned the above incidents to you and asked if the  man worked here and you said you had never seen him before.

Wednesday, August 30th around Noon:

I am standing, with my dog,  on Vanderbilt Way towards Commons, speaking with Campus Commons resident, and suddenly some guy on a bicycle, with loud music, was circling around us like a vulture..  After a few seconds  the guy proceeded to ride his bike through the shrubbery and enter the Dunbarton Cabana by putting his hand over the pool gate, opening it from the in side and entering the Cabana via the unlocked pool-side entrance.  It suddenly hit me that this was the exact strange aggressive male that my dog and I had problems with last week.and that he clearly recognized my dog and I recognized him.

Wednesday, August 30th around 15 minutes passed Noon:

I was up at the Nepenthe office and spoke to both your assistant as well as to Rodger.  It is my understanding that this strange aggressive male in question is employed by about 50 of the Campus Commons residents to wash windows.. I also understand that this male and his girlfriend have been warned and kicked off the property several times in the past 5 years or so for washing up in the various restrooms, etc. Lastly tn is my distinct impression and understanding that white powder has been found in his belongings that were left behind in one of the bathrooms.  Since the police have been called numerous times and the gentleman continues to be employed by residents and is a clear safety threat, what steps and safety precautions will Nepenthe and Merit be taking?

I spoke with one board member about the incident, last night, and will continue to discuss the incident with other residents as this man is a serious safety threat.  I have also copied other neighbors.

Welcome to the Village Tattler

This blog has been created for Campus Commons residents to report any type of unusual behavior.  It is meant to be a means of communication to maintain a safe and peaceful way of living Campus Commons is known for.