Diamondhead POA News Bulletins

We have all heard about the wild fires burning off of Menge Ave. and in the Kiln. As of this writing, some 2,000+ acres have been burned. We even had a small fire on the South side of Diamondhead last week. These fires were primarily attributable to a lack of rainfall and the resulting dry condition of the many dead, dying, and broken trees left over from Katrina. The four coastal Counties have burn bans in effect. Perhaps some of these wildfires were started by someone not observing the ban.

What can we do about it? First, observe the burn ban. Fires are prohibited in Diamondhead, anyway. Second, if you own an undeveloped, wooded lot that has dead, dying, and broken trees on it, seriously consider having them removed, since they pose a real fire hazard.

Explosive Devices

Security responded to two calls from residents who found plastic Nestea drink bottles on their steps containing a “packet.” The “packet” turned out to be a heating element from an MRE.

Under certain conditions, which I won’t describe here, that becomes an explosive device which can cause injury and damage. If you discover any plastic drink bottle with something resembling a “packet” in it, do not touch it, and call Security at 255-2927 immediately. The “packet” is made of heavy white paper, similar to coffee filters, and contains dark powder-like granules.

Golf Pro Shop and 19^th Hole Bar & Grill

The Board of Directors at its April 4^th meeting voted to leave the golf pro shop at its current location at the cart barn building after the Country Club reopens.

The Board also approved keeping the 19^th Hole Bar and grill open with a limited menu and reduced hours once the Club reopens. Details will be published when we get closer to the Club opening, which, by the way, we still hope will be in July, 2006.

New Diamondhead Newsletter Editor Hired

Karen Flores has been hired as the Editor to replace Deborah Delong. Karen will start in mid-April, and Deborah will work with her for the May and June issues.

We certainly welcome Karen, but do so with a sad heart at the pending departure of Deborah.

Swimming Pools

The North, Main, and Holiday Village pools are open between dawn and dusk but without lifeguards. Pools will be closed and locked after dark. Property owners and guests may swim, but at their own risk. The East pool had significant damage from Katrina, but we expect it to be open by May 1.

Lifeguards will start around Memorial Day, depending on the school schedule. Members must have membership cards to show to the lifeguard to enter the pool area (or Security when lifeguards are not on duty). Members may have up to six guests, and must accompany the guests. If a member wants to bring more guests for as special function, a pool pass can be obtained from the POA office, Monday through Friday during office hours. Plan ahead for weekend guests!

Diamondhead Swim Team

Registration for the swim team will be held at 6 PM at the East Recreation Center on Tuesday, April 18. For additional information, contact Terry Kirkup at 255-7537.

Property Transfers

There were 120 property transfers in March, and a total of 515 from December 1, 2005 through March 31, 2006. That is almost 10% of all properties in just four months! No wonder there are so many new faces in the 19^th Hole, on the golf courses, and in the supermarket. Welcome to all of you new property owners. We look forward to enjoying Diamondhead with you.

Friday Night Golf Scramble

The ever popular Friday afternoon scramble will be held on Mondays, beginning May 1. Why Mondays? The 19^th Hole is too crowded with patrons there for dinner and music on Fridays. Since there is no meal service or music on Mondays there is room to accommodate the golfers.

Play will begin at 4 PM. Contact the Pro Shop at 255-3910 for details.

Cardinal Irrigation System Update

As you are aware the pump station on the Cardinal course recently failed. Old age and slightly acidic water finally caused the destruction. A new pump is being manufactured in Memphis and should be installed in about a week.

This situation could have been disastrous and caused some severe “browning” of the turf on the Cardinal. However a temporary solution to the problem was found. By some clever “retro” engineering we connected an old line that was used to supply water from the Cardinal course to the wash rack at the maintenance shop to a new line that presently supplies water to the same wash rack from the Pine course. We by-passed a valve and connected the irrigation system from the Pine course into the system on the Cardinal course and we were able to irrigate, though on a limited basis.

Without the aide of two long time employees, Randy Bryant and Donald Cuevas, who were able to recall where that abandoned line was located, we may have lost some turf in the rough and fairways of the Cardinal. The greens were never in danger as we were watering them with spray tanks full of fresh water and applied constantly throughout the day.

Bell South Laying Underground Fiber Optic Lines

Bell South is replacing all telephone lines in Diamondhead with new underground copper lines. The existing above ground system was significantly damaged by hurricane Katrina and has only had temporary repairs made, and will not continue to function without ongoing problems. The underground service will be much more reliable and serviceable during and after hurricanes. The above ground system is scheduled for removal once the underground system is operational.

The initial phase of installation will be to install the buried trunk lines. These lines will be installed along the roadway right of way and utility easements, and is expected to be complete sometime in May, 2006.

Property owners should be aware that a utility easement runs 10 feet inside their front and rear property lines, and five feet on either side of the side lot lines. We may not like anyone digging in “our” yards, but the fact of the matter is that utility companies have the right to use these easements for utility services. Bell South will minimize any inconvenience and correct any damage.

Please spread the word about these e-mail bulletins. Let your friends and neighbors know that if they wish to get on the distribution list they should send their e-mail addresses to bettyblakeney@cableone.net.

The pumping system for the Cardinal course has been inoperable for several days. We had the pump pulled for an inspection today. Both the pump and casing are severely corroded and determined to be in need of replacement. An order has been placed, but it will take approximately a week to be shipped and installed.

We will continue to water the greens by hand, but that will be insufficient to prevent some “browning” of the grass. We thought you should know that the grass will turn brown and why it is doing so.

If there is any silver lining in this dark cloud, it is that we have not reached the real growing season just yet. The new pump will be in service before that begins.

There will be a sale of the Country Club furniture salvaged from hurricane Katrina beginning at 8:00 AM, Saturday April 8 at the Country Club. We have a number of chairs of different kinds, sofas, loveseats, coffee and end tables, credenzas, and lamps, all with varying degrees of damage. This is an opportunity to get some furniture at a good price and some sentimental pre-Katrina items. Everything will be priced to go.

Customers will be served on a first-come-first-serve basis, and depending on the response, we may have to limit the number of customers allowed in at any one time. Please understand our desire to be fair to everyone, and be patient if there are long lines.

This is intended to be for the benefit of Diamondhead property owners, so please bring your current membership card and driver’s license. We will not sell to professional auctioneers or businesses for resale.

The end result will be much more reliable phone service, and the elimination of the many unsightly overhead phone lines that run from pole to pole.

Russ Beard and Susan Holcomb, organizers of the inaugural litter pick up date, have postponed the second scheduled event to 9:00 AM, Saturday, April 22. The April 8^th date it was scheduled for has turned out to be a very busy day, with an Easter egg hunt as well as the Country Club salvage furniture sale. A reminder will be sent out about a week in advance.

As previously announced, when the major tree and debris removal had been completed and the courses opened to play, the POA was going to go back and remove those broken and dying trees that, while on the course, did not interfere with play. Now that the secondary tree removal is underway, there have been many questions and complaints about some of the trees that have been removed.

We are only removing those trees that either are dead, or have been damaged so much that they will die. Virtually any pine tree that has the top center core broken out will die. It may take some time, but it will die, and as it dies, pieces of it will fall and thus pose a hazard. We will try to avoid removing oaks, especially live oaks, but there have been and will be some that will need to be removed.

Unfortunately, some of those that have been or will be removed are “hole defining” trees. We will plant new trees to replace such “hole defining” trees, but obviously it will take some time before they mature and present the same challenge their predecessors did.

Decisions to remove “hole defining” trees will be made by Steve McDonald, Hoppy Smith, and Chip Marz to ensure adequate review.

We continue to receive report of cars and trucks being driven on the runway or parked close by. Please be aware that the runway is active and open to AIR traffic. It is NOT open for cars and trucks! Driving on the runway is extremely hazardous. Please make sure your family members and contractors are alerted to this and do not drive on the runway.

To that end, signs have been placed at the main taxiway advising that the runway is active and not to drive on in. The Facilities Department will also re-install the posts and cable restraints so that vehicles will not be able to enter the taxiway from Airport Drive.

The runway lights have been repaired from the damage received during Katrina. They are photo sensitive and come on automatically between dusk and dawn.

The A&E Department has processed 23 new home permits in the first three weeks of February, which is the highest total in five years.

Where is the long promised new menu? Because we continue to be short of staff, particularly cooks, Jeff Hall has been working six and sometimes seven days a week (when there is a Monday banquet). This has not allowed him the time to teach the cooks how to prepare the new menu items. In order to teach the cooks, Jeff will be offering one of the new items as a nightly special Tuesday through Saturday. Some of the new items will be: jambalaya pasta, fried green tomatoes, vegetarian pasta, Mahi-Mahi tempura, fish sandwich, fried catfish, bacon-wrapped salmon, rib eye steak, shrimp scampi, Caesar’s salad, shrimp & crabmeat dip appetizer. Try them when you get a chance and thank you for your patience!

Speaking of patience, repairs to the Club roof will begin this week! We are still hopeful that the Club will reopen in July, if we can avoid the seemingly inevitable material delays.

As you have seen, the Corps of Engineers have completed their roadside debris removal on February 15 as planned. There have been a few sites where debris was either put out too late or involve ineligible debris (lots cleared for development).

We have patched over 50 pot holes in the last few weeks and will continue to do so in the weeks ahead. Because there has been and will continue to be heavy traffic due to construction and Right of Entry debris removal, our paving project for 2006 will be held off until the latter part of the year when we hope the activity will have diminished. We are in the process of surveying all of our roads to determine those that will be resurfaced.

Cathy Benvenutti accepts offer as Director of Administration and Human Resources. I am pleased to announce that Cathy will join us on March 13. She comes to us from Garden Park Medical Center where she has served as Director of Human Resources for the past ten years.

Cathy will be a great addition to our team, and I look forward to working with her in the years ahead.

Diamondhead POA Bulletin 021306A

Block Tee times to Resume March 1, 2006

The Board of Directors had suspended all block times when the Pine was reopened in October, 2005 to enable all members to have equal access to the one course. Now that both the Pine and Cardinal courses are back in operation, those block tee times previously grandfathered into existence will go back into effect March 1, 2006.

South Side Boat Thefts

There were two incidents of boats on trailers being stolen between Wednesday and Saturday of last week, both on the same cul-de-sac. Both trailers had locks on the trailer “ball,” but the thieves managed to defeat those mechanisms.

Diamondhead Security patrols the south side 12 to 18 times each day. They have foiled four looting attempts resulting in six arrests. The Hancock County Sheriffs Office runs additional patrols as well. Nonetheless, south side residents should take care not to leave valuables unsecured, and should call Diamondhead Security at 255-2927 to report suspicious persons or vehicles.

Aviation News

Please be advised that the airport runway is active! Planes and helicopters frequently take off and land. DO NOT drive on the runway for any reason.

Power should be restored to the runway lights by February 24.

Help keep Diamondhead beautiful! Come join in a litter pick up from 9 AM to Noon this Saturday, January 28 at the Community Center. Crews will fan out from the center and pick up small debris on the roadside that the Corps contractors leave behind.

The effort is headed up by Russ Beard (216-7125) and Susan Holcomb (255-8690) with POA support. We will provide trash bags and gloves with a truck following to pick up the filled bags. A light lunch will follow at the POA offices.

Wear your work clothes and bring both garden and leaf rakes. Help us return beauty to the face of Diamondhead.

In keeping with our clean up theme, please remove all contractor signs from your yard. Roofers, “gutters” and contractors have had sufficient time to get their names and phone numbers in front of the public. Word of mouth can take over from here.

Coast Transit busses will be dispatched in Hancock County as needed. Residents needing rides on the Coast Transit Bus for medical appointments, grocery shopping, etc., must call 24 hours prior to needing a ride at 255-8020. The Senior Citizens Bus will be dispatched to pick up those residents the next day.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Please spread the word about these e-mail bulletins. Let your friends and neighbors know that if they wish to get on the distribution list they should send their e-mail addresses to bettyblakeney@cableone.net.

The Corps of Engineers directing the Right of Way (roadside) storm debris removal have informed the POA that the program is drawing to an end. The final date for residents to put debris out on the roadside will definitely be Tuesday, February 7, 2006. The final date that roadside debris will be picked up will definitively be Wednesday, February 15, 2006.

Therefore, residents are urged to push their debris to the curbside as soon as possible to take advantage of debris removal at FEMA’s expense. Any debris put out after the final put out date of February 7 may very well not be picked up, and residents will be responsible for removing the debris themselves. The POA has neither the proper equipment nor manpower to do this, so residents who do not comply will be fined and billed if the POA has to remove it.

The POA has requested that the Corps inform us as streets are completed, so that residents may contact the Facility Maintenance Department. (255-3343) for the status of their street.

Residents in the process of home repairs due to Katrina related damage are expected to obtain a no cost repair permit from the POA and adhere to the requirements of the permit. The Corps will continue to perform Right of Entry (ROE) work on approved properties and remove debris from those approved properties as the work is completed.

There will be a Job Fair for entry level positions in both Golf Course Maintenance and Facilities Maintenance as well as for wait staff, dishwashers, and cooks in the Club. It will be held from 9:00 AM to Noon on Wednesday, January 11 in the Community Center.

Dr. Steve Wistar, a forensic weather specialist with AccuWeather, will make a presentation on the wind and storm surge timeline along the Mississippi coast. This will be of interest to everyone, but particularly to Southside residents. Dr. Wistar is a consultant for hire who will develop site specific reports for property owners regarding what caused the damage to their structures. His presentation will begin at 10:00 AM, Monday, January 9, at the Community Center.

As previously noted, Golf Course Maintenance has been working very hard to open the back nine of the Cardinal on Monday, January 30, 2006. Please be aware that there is still a considerable amount of trees with broken, hanging branches or leaning precariously, as well as debris alongside many holes on both courses. We will have to close selected holes from time to time to deal with these items and request your patience as we do so.

Approximately 95% of the major drainage ditches have been cleared on the Northside, and about 60% on the Southside. Facilities has also been clearing roadside ditches where it appears that FEMA storm debris removal is complete. Approximately 90% of traffic signs and 50% of street signs have been repaired or replaced where it appears FEMA storm debris removal is complete. Crews have also been cutting down hanging limbs from the median and roadsides along Diamondhead Drive North, East, and West, as well as Golf Club and Bayou Drives.

Katrina destroyed the pro shop, shower & toilet facilities and lounge area. We will take this opportunity to explore the feasibility of relocating Tennis World closer to the Country Club. We believe there may be some synergies of having Tennis and the Club in close proximity; more people may join Tennis World as a result, and tennis players may increase food and beverage sales at the Club. While this is being studied Facilities has installed a temporary pro shop and is building a temporary bathroom and shower facility.

There were 145 new building permits issued in 2005 despite Katrina. This is in line with the rolling 10 year average of 147. So far 91 permits have been issued for FEMA trailers, and 8 permits for repairs/rebuilding.

The 19^th Hole is doing very well! Revenue for December, 2005 was very close to what it was in 2004 at the Country Club, excluding banquet sales! Of course, we still have special events in the Community Center. For instance, there is a wedding with 225 guests this Friday, a Boaters party for 100 on Saturday, and another wedding for 125 on Sunday. Since all of the food, beverages, dishes and silverware need to be carried to the center from the 19^th hole, then returned for cleaning, it is much more labor intensive than a function at the club. This means our already short staff is working very hard. It is also why we have jobs to fill as cooks, dishwashers, and wait staff.

For those of you who eat at the 19^th hole frequently, take heart, a new menu is in the works!

Our new Security Department has now been in service four weeks. In that short time they have:

One of the Officers was held by the collar and dragged down the street by a speeder he stopped after clocking him at 83 MPH. So their job is not as easy as some of us might think. They have a tough job, are doing it very well, and they deserve our thanks and respect.