Editor: Pat Heumann-Burrow www.lakeramsey.com April / May edition “05” Volume 2 #4
April Showers…
April showers bring May flowers. I’m sure you’ve noticed that there is always rain before the flowering season. Water is used in the process to produce the beautiful flowers. In our lives it is like this also. There is always a difficult time of rain, but it is only there to prepare you for the beauty of the flower. So hang in there if you are in a rainy season. It is going to produce something beautiful in your life if you don’t turn off the water.
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***Important Gate Notice Because we have had so many complaints about tailgating through the front gate, the “gate closing time” (time it takes to get from the pad- through the gate). will be shortened. This will take effect within the month. You will be notified by a sign on the gate, when this occurs.
Upcoming Events
Homeowners Board Meeting …Always the 4th Thursday of the month at the Fire Station on LA 25 … May26th at 7:00 pm. The meeting is open to all property owners. If you want to speak at the meeting, you must call a board member to be put on the agenda.
Next Civic Association “Pot Luck” May 19 at the home of Ruth and Gary Bienvinue…13635 Riverlake at 6:30 It is also a food bank drive. See Civic newsletter for more info.
Homeowners Association of Lake Ramsey
Address P.O. Box 1746, Covington, La 70434
Jan Miller –President
Joe Urick –VP
Jan Clark –Secretary
Bill White
Doug Block
Want the Board to know your concerns? Let your representative know and they will bring it up at the board meeting or… make an appointment with Jan Miller to come in person, and be heard. Let your voice be heard the American way.
Phase I representatives- Frank Raab and Jan Clark….Phase II representatives- Joe Urick and Pat Heumann Burrow Phase III representatives- Doug Block and Evelyn Bordelon Phase IV representatives- Bill White and Louis Zeringue
March’s Board Meeting Highlights
-Home Owner Board Meeting March 24, 2005
-Called to order 7:00 p.m., all members present, except Joe Urick.
-Minutes distributed, accepted and filed, Treasurer’s report given and filed.
-Will Crain, the attorney representing Lake Ramsey Home Owners regarding Phase 4a was introduced.
He informed residents of the new proposal made by Mr. Mamoulidas allowing entrance into our subdivision for Phase 4a to Lake Ramsey Road instead of Green Valley Road and Major Lane.
-How this would affect our gate and entrance was discussed
-Optional entrances were discussed
-Mamoulidas claims to own the lake, and the roads, however no proof has been given.
-Discussed his proposal and how this would affect our community.
-Motion to stick with original contract with Mamoulidas…Passed
-Motion to accept ownership of road….Passed
-Louis Zeringue is taking bids for the road repair and hopefully by May the work will begin
-Jan Miller signed Quick Claim Deed to transfer ownership of Common Areas of Phase I through 4 to Lake Ramsey Homeowners. Motion passedLouis Zeringue
The Fishing Rodeo Winners Are: Congratulations!!!!!
Adult Division
1st Place went to Ryan Morse …. 5.2lb Bass
2nd Place went to Etienne Rene….5.1 lb Bass
3rd Place went to Bob Panek….. 4.3lb Bass
The Civic Club would like to thank Jan Miller for putting together the great Fishing Rodeo and Crawfish Boil. Once again he pulled off a fantastic day. The crawfish were boiled by Rudy Booth. He did a great job. The Fourth Annual is already being planned for next year. Jan will be printing the winners, weights, etc. in this edition.
I would like to also thank the Civic Club board, Evelyn Billman, Evelyn Borderlon, Paulette Hecker and Sandy Miller for selling, serving and in general helping with the event. Such a good job ladies!
There were a lot of other helpers, putting up and taking down tables, chairs, serving food, cleaning up, etc, everyone just pitched in and made the day a success. You are always there with a helping hand.
Events like this could not be done without so many participants. “Thanks” to each and everyone of you.
A special “Thank You” goes out to Larry Borderlon for so often providing us with such wonderful music. The music just makes our events better. Good job Larry! And we would like to thank Larry Terrel for the use of his water and electricity, just another good neighbor!
The Civic Club is very active this year and we have added several new members recently, if you are new to our community, you are welcome to come and join in the fun. The next meeting will be on May 19 at the home of Ruth and Gary Bienvinue, 13635 Riverlake at 6:30 and will be not only a Pot Luck dinner but a drive for the Food Bank. Gary works with the Food Bank and says that they always need the personal items, tissue, soap, razors, toothbrushes, that type of thing. Bring your gift donation and a dish or dessert. We will be discussing the next event. Do you have any ideas of what that should be? See you there. If you have any questions about the Civic association feel free to contact any one of the board members. Phone numbers are listed above.
BEAVER AND Alligator Alert… call Wildlife and Fisheries at
641-6209 as soon as you spot or hear one … DO NOT, under any circumstances feed an alligator. He will then feed on anything that falls into the lake thinking it is food.
(I haven’t heard of any sightings as of yet)
Courtesy Fishing… When you see a neighbor fishing from a dock or boat…slow your boat down and avoid the area they are fishing in.
Keeping the Covenants…Covenants are like the speed limit…it makes you want to break them. However, when you do there is always a consequence, and without consequence…would we voluntarily keep the law?
When moving out here we all knew that Lake Ramsey was a subdivision of covenants and restrictions. And you, like me, probably liked that idea so your investment in a home and property would be safe. (Ever notice that the very thing that attracts you to something becomes difficult to deal with when you have to live with it?) It is so easy to make excuses why the rules don’t apply to “our” situation. We can all make excuses and believe we are right… however the rules are the same for everyone regardless of age, weight, church, or politics.
Look around your property, (not your neighbors) and see if anything is in violation? Is there something you can do to bring it in line with the covenants? I am not so idealistic to think that there won’t be some who refuse to bend, however let them be in the minority. (Survey’s show that 80% of Americans want the laws enforced and I am sure that our percentages are about the same out here)
To make it easier for us to keep our covenants, we are trying to make a storage place available for anyone wanting to store their “outdoor stuff” at an inexpensive price. But don’t wait until then….start now… and be a leader in our community.
* If you need a complete copy of the covenants call Jan Clark …892-1265. click here for link
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A Gardening Reminder…
As we are all enjoying the beautiful weather and getting our yards and gardens spruced up, please remember…any fertilizer used on the grass will run off into the water causing the algae to grow and take over the shallow areas of our lake. Last year we not only had a big problem with the algae but also with the leaches that feed on the algae. YUCK!!!
Keep this in mind… when you fertilize your yard, you are also fertilizing your lake.
Taking a step up…
Hating those who have hurt you… only hurts you…so do yourself a favor and forgive them…you deserve it… even if they don’t.!!!
Just so you know…
Questions….Who-What -When-Where-Why?
When … are they going to start fixing our roads??…We have accepted a bid and they will start in May…Twenty eight panels are being fixed with a possible 4 more. YEA!!
What stickers???… I heard that we are going to have stickers for our cars and boats. Is this true? Yes…we are going to make these stickers available for all cars and boats residing in Lake Ramsey. This will enable us to know if a resident is behind us when we come in on our card at the gate, and know which boats belong one our lake. The stickers will be given out by Bill White.
What can we do about uncut lots? Notify your Phase Rep. as to what lot is not being taken care of and how long it has been since it was cut and we will send out a notice. If they do not cut it in a timely fashion then we will hire someone and send them the bill.
What… can we do about slow keypad users at the gate? Many people have a hard time using the keypad. The board decided to have a sign made to give clear instructions. This should alleviate most of the problem.
When… are they going to fix the drains in both of the lakes, and how high should our lake be?
They will be fixing the drains in both lakes next Saturday, weather permitting. The proper level of the lake is 44.6 feet. They will be installing sheet piling at 44.6 by the drain in order to maintain that level. Any water over 44.6 will go into the drain, and out of the overflow. This will keep our lakes at the optimum level.
Where… do I get a gate card, the new boat launch key or information on building in Lake Ramsey, and the new stickers for our boats and cars… Bill White- C- 966-0817, H- 867-9153. Please Call before you come to pick up a key. :)* Just a reminder that a replacement boat launch key costs $100.00. Ouch! … So don’t Loose it or Lend it!!!!! **** The new boat launch keys will be available in two weeks.
Health Tip… Need to remove an ugly wart. Try this …moisten the wart with water, apply a Beyer Aspirin to the wart and cover with a Band-aid. Leave on for a couple of days. The Aspirin ( not Advil etc... but aspirin) kills the virus that causes the wart.
Do and Don’ts of the Neighborhood
These little do and Don’ts will help us all be on the same page.
DON’T PARK…. your car, truck, or trailer etc. over night on the street. Any vehicles left in the street or on any of the green spaces over night will be towed off at owners expense.
Do… Report if the gate is broken…to Jan Miller first, or your area rep.
Don’t … go in… the out gate!!!
Do …Pick up your newsletter when the arm is up on the green mailbox in the front of the subdivision
Do… be considerate of your neighbor’s privacy
Don’t…. drive your boats too close to their docks/piers while skiing or fishing.
Do…Dogs are not to run loose !!! The covenants require dogs to be leashed (especially by the street), to protect children, bikers, and anyone not knowing the temperament of your animal.
Don’t… throw grass and leaves from your yard clean up into the lake as this pollutes the water (not to mention looks terrible) If someone else does your yard, let them know.
Do…cut your lot at least twice a month during the summer, to keep the rodents down. (LOT OWNERS)
Don’t …put up a fence or addition without getting it approved first.
Do…Enjoy your home in Lake Ramsey…(Most people have to go on vacation to experience what we have here on a daily basis) How blessed we are!!!
Welcome to all those who are just moving in. I hope this will make your transition easier.
Artesian Utility 809-2070
Bell South (DSL) 557-6500
WST Electric 809-2679, 892-8804
Lacox gas (Propane)892-0297
Direct TV 1-866-438-3929
Charter Communications 645-8000
La. Wildlife and Fish 641-6209 Alligator
Garbage -Waste Management 893-1666
or BS Service(independent) 892-0569
Poison Control 1-800-256-9822
Humane Society 892-7387 lost, stray, or unleashed dogs
St Tammany Hospital 898-4000
Lakeview Regional Medical 867-3800
Voting --Fire Station 12 on LA 25 892-5161
Red Thompson 626-4406
Hot topic of the Month
What’s alive in Phase 5 (4a)
Will Crain gave a short recap of our agreement with Mr. Mamoulides not to come in our gates but to enter his construction through Green Valley/Major Lane or by way of his property (25ft past our blacktop on each side in the front entrance belongs to him).
After listening to several people from Major Lane view their concerns, Charlie Girrusso spoke up as an independent for Lake Ramsey. The Commission had several concerns of their own about the project but the drainage for the subdivision was their biggest concern. They tabled the project until Mr. Mamoulides can submit a different drainage plan that would be an improvement even over what we have here in Lake Ramsey.
There are still many details to be discussed and it was suggested by Will Crain that we meet with Mr. Mamoulides personally to iron out these issues. These are some of the questions that came up.
If he uses his property to access construction, and they enter through the (parish) gravel road at our entrance…how will this affect us?
-Will he take down part of the Brick wall at our entrance?
-Will our security entrance be compromised because of his construction entrance?
-Will people be able to walk through his entrance and get to the lakes?
-What about the levee? Is it strong enough to hold up under the weight of the trucks
needed to build this subdivision?
-What happens if the levee breaks and our lakes drain, how and who is responsible?
-It was mentioned that he wanted a floating bridge to cross the overflow lake to access the levee…if it dams up the water… will this affect our streets.
There are so many questions to be addressed. Do you have any questions or concerns about this new phase? Send them to the editor and we will try to get answers when we meet with Mr. Mamoulides. We are still a distance away from answers, for he has mountains to climb, but once again we must not sleep. Mr Mamoulides has for the present, tabled any meetings, and is trying to take care of the many concerns the parish addressed at the Tuesday night Council meeting.
For now …things are quiet.
*** Again, the Homeowner Boards agreement to not oppose this project does not take away your right as an individual to oppose it.
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FOR Making THE Meeting…A Big Thank You…to everyone who took the time to go to the council meeting Tuesday night regarding the new Phase 4a development. We had a wonderful representation for Lake Ramsey.
Fences make good neighbors???
They say that fences make “good” neighbors… but Lake Ramsey owners say that unapproved fences make “mad” neighbors. Protect the view of our lakes. It’s what brought us out here in the first place. Have your fence approved by the Architectural Committee before you start to build it. A see through fence is required for the lakeside.
Household Tip!!! … If you run out of Windex…try 100% Rubbing Alcohol
Burn Baby Burn
A Note from The Nature Conservancy of Louisiana
The Nature Conservancy of Louisiana plans to conduct prescribed burns at the Lake Ramsay Preserve and Wildlife Management Area during February through June 2005, weather permitting.
Nelwyn Mclnnis
Program Manager
The Nature Conservancy
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Pats Porch
Please drop off anything you would like to add to the Newsletter, written and ready to print, in the basket on Pat’s porch or email the information titled: Newsletter Info. To baheumann@aol.com on or before the 5th of the month.
April / May edition “05” Volume 2 #4
