Colony 2015-2016 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Michael Jacobs President Hearing Panel Liaison 714-305-9034

Chip McGehee VP , Pool Liaison 949-551-3500

David Braun Treasurer 949-552-4401

Myra Radlow Secretary and ARC Liaison 949-857-4633

John Allmann Landscape, Facilities Liaison, Website 949-653-5770

LaDonna Bornzin Director Recreation Liaison (949) 559-5949

John Jaeger Director

Colony Web Site www.colonyirvine.com

T h e C o l o n i s t FEB / MAR 2016 Vol. XXI

Board News

Upcoming Regular BOD Meetings: Regular Colony Board of Director meetings are held on the 3rd Thursday of every month. The next meetings are Feb. 18th 2016, 7pm & Mar. 17th 2016, 7pm at the Colony Clubhouse. Remember to check the web site; meeting dates are subject to change. Board meetings are open to all homeowners. Please check the agenda and come early to sign up if you wish to speak at the Open Members Forum. Your input is valued.

Meeting agendas and approved minutes can be found on the Colony web page at www.colonyirvine.com Click on About Us then Board/Meetings tab. They are also posted on the Clubhouse information board. Agendas are posted four days prior to board meetings.

Pool News: Since it's Winter, the pool is currently not being heated. The heater will be turned back on in mid-March which should be about 2 weeks before Spring break so it will be warm for the holiday. We are currently having the cabana bathroom doors repaired. Please enjoy the pool and remember that smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages are not allowed in the pool area.

Basketball Court: The basketball court has a new concrete playing surface. The new surface had a problem with water drainage and the contractor has just corrected this problem. Sorry for the delay in getting this project completed.

Colony Easter Egg Hunt Saturday, March 19, 10:00 am Colony Park

Toddlers to 10 years old are welcome. Please bring your own basket for a fast and furious egg hunt! Don’t miss the fun...the Egg Hunt will be sure to go quickly, so please be on time or you could miss it! Volunteers Needed: The Recreation Committee can use some help filling and hid-ing eggs. If you can help, please contact Eliza Holt at: colonyrecreation@gmail.com

Colony Swim Team Registration Wednesday, March 16, 2016. 7-9 pm Colony Clubhouse

The Red Hots are the Colony’s official swim team! It's a great way to meet your neighbors and learn to swim or improve your strokes/speed. Join the fun and represent our Colony Community this summer as we compete against other great communities in Irvine! Open to kids ages 5-18. Resident verification is required this year for all swimmers, new and return-ing. Please check website in March for details and instructions. http://colonyredhots.org/

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The Colonist Feb / Mar 16 3

Guidelines for Turf Replacement Plantings and more

by Eileen Tsai

An architectural application with a list of plants and detailed scale drawing is required if you will be replacing turf with drought-tolerant plantings or artificial turf whether or not you are also applying for the City of Irvine rebate. Here are tips and guidelines for achieving a pleas-ing and thriving long-term alternative garden. Please come discuss your ideas and plans with us even if not yet ready to submit an application. We are happy to help.

Lawn grass is thirsty and we are glad to see so many homeowners taking steps to reduce water use. However, lawns do provide a large expanse of greenery that is pleas-ing to the eye, relatively easy to maintain, and prevents most weeds when healthy. Replacing with a variety of plants requires more planning and attention to each plant’s own maintenance needs. Drought-tolerant plants may mean less water but not less care and maintenance.

Replacement plantings should be as pleasing as lawn grass and also prevent weeds. We are seeing too many inappropriate plants installed that will not grow big enough at maturity to overcome the visual impact of the large areas of brown bark, decomposed granite or pea gravel spread underneath. Also, many weeds are growing through mulch and not timely removed. In addition, we are concerned about the long-term health of plants that are not well-situated and well-maintained.

Soil preparation and careful plant selection are essen-tial. Lawn grass roots are shallow and can survive even in clay soils. However, taller plants have deeper roots and often need well-drained, amended soils. Before or after removing turf, check to see what type of soil is available for new plant roots to feed on. Clay soils may need to be dug up, turned over, perhaps partially removed and soil amendments added.

I highly recommend using weed control cloth which is available at Lowes and Home Depot. This black plastic cloth really works to allow water in yet stops most weeds from getting through. I laid weed control cloth down on most of my front and side yard before installing plants. I have also added weed control cloth around existing plants in my backyard. It is much easier to lay down the weed cloth first then cut holes to install plants. The trick is to make sure the weed cloth is pinned down tightly at the edges, esp. around sprinkler heads where weeds are most likely to grow. Weeds that do get through the cloth are easy to pull. It is a lot of work but preventing weeds long-term is a great reward.

Brown bark is the recommended mulch for appear-ance, water retention and weed prevention (but rubber

mulch is not acceptable). Mulch works best if laid over weed control cloth and needs to be at least 2 inches thick. Pea gravel can work if plants selected will spread to cover most of the gravel. When we walk or drive by, we should see green plants, not have our attention drawn to the

white/gray gravel. The Arizona desert look does not fit the existing Colony architectural style and is not accepta-ble. Decomposed granite does not appear to deter weeds so we do not advise using this for mulch. Please come discuss any other type of mulch that you are considering. Drip irrigation lines need to be covered by mulch or other-wise hidden.

The most efficient and cost-effective plants to replace lawn grass are groundcovers. A tray of groundcover plants usually costs $15-$20 and contains anywhere from 32 to 64 individual plants that will spread to cover a large area. Some are fast-growing and will eventually need to be trimmed to keep within your desired area. Others are slow-growing and may take years to grow to size. Most do just fine in our existing clay soils so you can skip the soil preparation and weed control cloth steps. However, during the first year, extra water and care is needed to establish roots, mulch may still be required for some types. Here is a list of groundcover plants that I found at Armstrong Nurseries (Culver/Deerfield). You can also find groundcover plant trays at Lowes and Home Depot: Dymondia – easy, tough, low-water use plant, 2-3”

high with yellow flowers in summer, grows fast Sedum – slow-growing, 1-3” high, many varieties of

green, gray, reddish, interesting but use care to site Ice plant (carpobrotus, delosperma, lanpranthus,

malephora) – Malephora is used for freeway plantings, most types are easy to grow here if initially sited and cared for – cannot take too much water

Cephalophyllum “red spike”/”red apple” – variety of

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The Colonist Feb / Mar 16 5

ice plant already found in many Colony yards Gazania – easy, grows fast, 6-12” tall, yellow/orange/

red/purple/pink flower varieties available, need to keep trimmed to desired area

Star Jasmine – up to 24” tall, can be climbing vines, trailers, shrubs, well-drained soil with average water (not drought-tolerant), white flowers, eventually will need trimming

Rosemary – make sure to get low spreading variety, not tall shrub type, low water when established, may not spread uniformly but grows well in our area

Strawberry geranium (Saxifraga) – not at Armstrong but is for our area, for shade, 6-8” high and 1’ wide

Dwarf periwinkle (vinca minor) – 4-6” high, white/pink/purple flower varieties, grows fast, low water

Blue fescue (festuca glauca) – 1’ high and 10” wide, should live several years then replace, low water

Mondo grass – green but there is a black variety, 6-8” high, slow to establish, easy to grow, needs water

Several types of groundcovers together can form an

interesting pattern. Taller plants may be installed. How-ever, most should be kept under 3.5 feet tall. 1-2 trees may give height to a varied and interesting landscape de-sign. Look around the Colony to see what grows well that appeals to you. Please bring a list of desired plants for our review and suggestions before submitting your applica-tion.

The Colony expects all homeowners to maintain and improve the appearance of homes and landscaping in ac-cordance with our architectural guidelines. That includes installing and maintaining plantings that will be in harmo-ny with our existing greenery style. Like everything else that we value, good landscaping requires ongoing vigilance and care.

REMINDER – Violation letters may be issued for

trashcans left out more than 24 hours before or after

pickup (other than Mon-Tues-Wed for most weeks). Also,

please assist to keep our neighborhood looking nice by

picking up old newspapers, cigarette butts and other trash

when found. It takes all of us to keep the Colony a great

place to live. Thank you.

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All Families: Bring a photocopy of two different utility bills. New Swimmers: Bring two copies of your birth certificate. Registration includes ordering of swim suits (bring your child for proper fitting). Questions about registration? Contact Miguel Ro-driguez at Registration@colonyredhots.org

Other questions? Contact Tracy Baxter at president@colonyredhots.org The season starts May 31. Practices are Monday through Friday and times depend on the age group of the children. Swim meets are five Saturdays in the summer and a Championship meet on August 6, 2016 at William Wollett Aquatic Center.

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Irvine High School Performing Arts

Honk! The Musical February 4, 2016 - February 5, 2016 7:00PM at Irvine High School Theater 2:00PM & 7:00PM on February 6, 2016 Students- $12 Adults- $14

Choral Music Spring Concert March 2 Concordia University

Instrumental Music Festival Concert March 3 Irvine HS Theatre

Irvine High Jazz Festival The 22nd Annual Jazz Festival will be held on March 19. This juried festival is a great experience for all ages. There is an admission fee.

The Colonist Feb / Mar 16 6

Tips for El Niño Weather Patterns

By Myra Radlow

We are expecting several serious storms this winter that will bring lots of rain and other storm conditions to our area. Here are some tips for staying safe and in-formed. Trim trees – especially trees with limbs that fall off

easily, like Eucalyptus – to reduce the risk of damage to your roof or parked cars.

Always drive with your headlights on during a storm – it’s the law!

Do not try to drive or walk through flooded areas.

Have flashlights and/or lanterns available in the event of a power outage, and be sure that they have fresh batteries.

Clean out rain gutters if you have them – clogged gutters can cause property damage and a big mess!

Buy a rain barrel to collect rainwater for watering plants at a later time. A re-bate of $75 may be available. Check for details at RightScapeNow.com/rebates.

Install rain gutter down-spout extensions that will dis-tribute rainwater directly where you want it to go in your yard, or into a rain bar-rel.

Plan ahead. Make an evacuation plan for your fami-ly, and make a reunification plan. Make sure every-one in the family knows the plans! (An out-of-area contact can be helpful.)

Make a supply kit for the house and another for the car. Important items include jackets, flashlights, sturdy shoes, snacks, and water.

Stay informed!

Register your phone to iAlert (cityofirvine.org/alert) it is the City’s mass notification system

Tune to 1640AM radio, the City’s radio station

Check the City’s website (cityofirvine.com) updates on storm related information

Follow the City on Twitter (twitter.com/city_of_irvine) or on Facebook (facebook.com/cityofirvine) for updates on storm related infor-mation

Remember to download the City’s app on your mobile device to receive updates and information.

Cupid´s Date Night

Looking for something different this Valentine’s? The Orange County Great Park presents Cupid's Date Night, a unique Valentine's Day experience for couples looking for something out of the ordi-nary. A romantic package is being offered Saturday, Feb. 13 and Sunday, Feb. 14. It in-cludes a ride on the iconic Great Park Balloon, an in-timate picnic dinner and a painting class inside the Artist Studios. The all-inclusive price is $132 per couple. Program registrants have the option to ride the balloon early, at 5 p.m., or at the conclusion of the event. Be sure to bring a blanket for the picnic dinner, which will be served promptly at 6 p.m. Space is limited. Registration required by Feb. 11, 3pm. To see the dinner menu and for more infor-mation, visit ocgp.org/events or contact Christine at 949-724-7611 or cluong@ocgp.org.

Irvine Fine Arts Center

Are you an artisan or crafter interested in selling your work? The Studio Arts Festival is a one day shopping event, featuring local artisans and craft-ers. Selected exhibitors work in a variety of medi-ums and display a high level of expertise in their field. The event will be held at the Irvine Fine Arts Center in Heritage Park on Saturday, June 4, 2016 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Applicants will be juried from images on CD, flash drive, or email. All images submitted must be of original artwork produced by the exhibitor. Priority deadline for application submission is March 29, 2016. For more information see the Irvine Fine arts web page at http://www.cityofirvine.org/irvine-fine-arts-center/special-events

The Colonist Feb / Mar 16 7

Do you have an item of general interest for the Colonist? Please submit your article to colonistnewsletter@gmail.com for consideration in upcoming newsletters. The deadline is March 19, 2016 Comments and suggestions are welcome!

Community Phone Numbers Government Animal Control ····························· 949-724-7740 City of Irvine································· 949-724-6000 Graffiti Hotline ···························· 949-724-7196 Hazardous Waste Center ············· 714-834-4000 Heritage Library ·························· 949-936-4040 Irvine Unified School District ······· 949-936-5000 O.C. Fire Authority (business calls) ···················································· 714-573-6000 Outdoor Pests, OC Vector Control ·················································· 714-971-2421 Police (administrative) ················ 949-724-7000 Public Works ································ 949-724-7511 Recycling Information ·················· 949-724-7669

Utilities Waste Management ··················· 949-642-1191 Irvine Ranch Water District ········ 949-453-5300 Southern California Edison ········· 800-990-7788 Street Lights ································ 800-655-4555 (Menu: 1 "power outage info" 3 other outage 3"street lights") The Gas Company ························ 800-427-2200 Cox Communications ··················· 949-249-1212

Other: Shopping Cart Pickup, Any Store ···················································· 800-252-4613 Walnut Shopping Center Security ·················································· 714-532-3152 Pool Maintenance, Aqua-Tek contact Accell (see calendar page for info) Sprinklers, Douglas Landscape contact Accell (see calendar page for info)

Colony Classifieds

Pet sitter: Going away on vacation? Need someone to feed your pets or walk your dog while you’re gone? I can help you if you need a pet sitter. My name is Adam and I am 15 years old. If you’re interested please call 714-244-7656.

Little Angels Family Child Care Managed by two sisters Elle & Azita. Free Play, Creative Arts, Outside Playtime, Circle Time/ Charts, Dance & Music. Fist Aid/ CPR, LiC# 304206336 Tel: 949 653 6137 www.thelittleangelschildcare.com

Are you a Colony Resident with something to sell or a service to offer?

Place an ad in the Colonist. Email colonistnewsletter@gmail.com for more information.

Tennis Committee

Remember tennis court reservations are online at HoldMyCourt.com http://holdmycourt.com/reserve2/colonyclub Please register and try it out - the club code is 3611.

Tax Preparation Assistance The City of Irvine in partnership with The United Way of Orange County is offering Tax preparation assistance at no cost to taxpay-ers who earned less than $60,000 in 2015. Qualifying taxpayers who live, work or go to school in Irvine are eligible to receive help

in completing and electronically filing through April 15. February 2 – April 15 by appointment only. Call 888-434-8248 for more information or to schedule an appointment.

Welcome to Kindergarten for IUSD Parents This is a free workshop for parents interested in learning more about Irvine School District's process for enrolling in kindergarten and transitional kin-dergarten. Thursday, February 11 7-8:30 pm Irvine Civic Center 949-724-6632

Clubhouse Reservations Planning a party or event?

Reservations are easy to make! Email: goaccell@accellpm.com

or call: Mari Jordan 949.581.4988 Ext. 268 Fax 949.581.9785

mari@accellpm.com

Accell Property Management Shanne Ho shanne@accellpm.com 23046 Avenida de la Carlota, Suite 700 Laguna Hills, CA 92653

Office: 949-581-4988 Ext. 263 Fax : 949-581-9785 Office Hours: Mon-Fri 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Sat-Sun Closed For after hours emergencies call 949-361-3290

FEBRUARY 2016

MARCH 2016

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4

ARC Meeting

7:00 PM Clubhouse

5 6

7

8 9 10 11

Street sweeping

12 13

14

Valentine’s Day

15 Presidents’ Day

16 17

18 BOD Meeting

7:00 PM Clubhouse

19 20

21

22 23 24

25

Street sweeping

26

27

28 29

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2

3 ARC Meeting

7:00 PM Clubhouse

4

5

6

7 8 9

10 Street sweeping

11 12

13 Start

Daylight Saving

14 15

16

17 BOD Meeting

7:00 PM Clubhouse

18

19 Egg Hunt

10 am Colony Park

20 21 22 23

24 Street sweeping

25 26

27 Easter

Sunday

28 29 30 31