November 2004	Volume XXVII • Issue No. 4

Join us for an afternoon of Holiday Caroling Wanted: Carolers for the first Claymont North Caroling Party! No experience (or talent) necessary. Bring your hats and gloves; sheet music will be provided. Where: Please meet at 4529 NW Baltimore Dr. When: 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM Date: December 12th We will spread our holiday cheer throughout the neighborhood and return at 4:30 to 4529 NW Baltimore Drive for hot chocolate and cookies. This will be a great opportunity to get to know your neighbors better while sharing in the holiday spirit. If you would prefer that we not stop at your house, please send an e-mail to Deni Oas at dmoas@excite.com

Claymont North Calendar of Events DECEMBER Holiday Caroling December 12 • 3 to 5 pm 4529 NW Baltimore Drive Stay connected with e-mail Periodically, the association board sends neighborhood-related updates and reminders to residents via e-mail. If you would like to receive these notices, please send your e-mail address to Chantel Ruckh at cruckh1@juno.com. Neighborhood Fall Cleanup Many neighbors took advantage of the CNHA fall yard debris dumpsters in October and filled them with leaves and limbs. Don’t forget the Kansas City Fall Brush Pickup, coming to our neighborhood the week of 11/29. Place up to 15 paper bags or bundles of yard waste on the curb by 7AM on November 29^th, and the city will collect them sometime during the week.

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2004 CNHA Board Members Officers Gary Gates, President gatesgary@sbcglobal.net 452-4164 David Lash, Treasurer dlash@claymontnorth.org 455-1183 Kathy Stump, Secretary Kystump@aol.com 455-0593 Architectural Control Jim Callier jcallier@kc.rr.com 453-6623 Richard Reed richard@reedent.com 455-8461 John Stueve Jstueve1@kc.rr.com 452-5864 General Board Members John Eckardt John_Eckardt@kcmo.org 453-5333 Teresa Lash tlash@travelteam-kc.com 455-1183 Deni Oas dmoas@excite.com 455-7300 Chantel Ruckh cruckh1@juno.com 454-1996 Katy Ryan ryanchiefs@kc.rr.com 413-8079 Mike West m.west.mgmt.svc@sbcglobal.net 454-8601 Kevin Worley kworley@kc.rr.com 455-5301

Claymont North Homes Association Annual Meeting Recap The annual meeting was a fun event at the beautiful new shelter at Macken Park. The weather was wonderful and all who attended had a good time. There were 35 households represented, totaling 59 adults as well as a number of children. The following items were voted on during the business portion of the event: Motion made and seconded to vote on 2005 Officers: Gary Gates … President David Lash … Treasurer Richard Reed … Secretary Motion passed unanimously Motion made and seconded to vote on adding the amendment to the By-laws: The Association has the right to ensure that grounds, landscaping, shrubs and trees for all vacant or unimproved property is properly maintained on a regular basis. Lawn grass and other vegetation, which are not attended or cultivated, may not exceed eight inches in height. Shrubs and bushes should be trimmed periodically to provide a neat appearance. Trees should not prevent easy use of sidewalks. Should the owner of the vacant property fail to provide this basic level of maintenance, the Association is herby empowered to mow the property and trim trees, shrubs and other vegetation and assess the costs for such services against the property. The Association may file suit against the property owner or place a lien upon the real property for the assessment, costs and expenses, including attorney’s fees. The lien may be enforced by any appropriate method Motion passed unanimously Motion was made and seconded to vote on a $20 dues increase to raise the annual dues to $85 from the current level of $65. Motion passed by a vote of 57-2

Contact newsletter editor Kevin Worley at kworley@kc.rr.com for advertising and editorial information

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Be a good neighbor….

Shovel your snow

As winter approaches with the promise of more snow, we remind you to be sure to shovel the sidewalks and walkways in front of your home so that pathways remain clear and safe for our children and their friends, our walkers and joggers, and the service people who invariably need to traverse the neighborhood.

We’d also like to remind the young people in our neighborhood (high school age and younger) that if you would like to advertise your snow shoveling services (or other services such as dog walking, house-sitting, baby-sitting, etc,), we will offer you a free mention in this newsletter or on the Claymont North Homes Association Website free of charge. Please send your name, age, services provided, and contact information to Kevin Worley at kworley@kc.rr.com.

Keep our streets safe!

There have been several reports of unlicensed vehicles such as 4-wheelers, mini-bikes and go-carts speeding through the neighborhood, some ridden by youngsters. These vehicles are not street-legal, and are a danger to motorists and pedestrians alike. Please keep them off our streets, and report any violations to the police.

Neighborhood streets can be difficult to navigate and are impossible to plow when they’re filled with parked cars. Please use your garage and driveway for vehicle parking. And remember, boat, RV and trailer parking are never permitted other than during brief visits, or for a seasonal wash and wax. Auto repairs may not be performed in driveways or streets at any time.

Your association at work….

2004 Financial Summary

This was a challenging year financially due to increased costs for snow removal and mosquito abatement, our two largest expense categories. Your board worked diligently to economize in other areas to offset these increases to finish the year within our budget.

The following table summarizes our budgeted and actual expenditures by major category:

Category	Budget	Actual
Annual Meeting	$1,200.00	$272.55
Administrative	$1,450.00	$1,404.33
Newsletters	$1,000.00	$639.18
Mosquito Control	$3,500.00	$2,955.00
Snow Removal	$3,000.00	$6,523.00
Activities & Social	$175.00	$53.80
Welcome Baskets	$150.00	$0.00
Contingency	$1,600.00	$165.00
Total	$12,075.00	$12,012.86

These results are depicted graphically below:

Our operating reserve at the beginning of 2004 was $8,867.59. At year end, it will be $9,283.25. Only one homeowner remains delinquent on dues, and a lien is in place on that property.

The dues increase approved at our Annual Meeting will ensure that we can continue to provide quality neighborhood services in a fiscally responsible way.

Contact newsletter editor Kevin Worley at kworley@kc.rr.com for advertising and editorial information

Claymont North Homes Association PO Box 9269 Kansas City, MO 64168-9269 Visit the Claymont North Homes Association online at www.claymontnorth.org Claymont North Homes Association

«Merge Record #»

	The Travel Team Teresa and David Lash Your neighborhood travel consultants For cruises, tours, vacation packages or business trips, call us at (816) 414-0200. E-mail: sales@travelteam-kc.com On the web at http://www.travelteam-kc.com
Seeking baby-sitters, dog-walkers, snow shovelers and more Youths in high school or younger can advertise the services they provide for neighbors at www.claymontnorth.org (or in this newsletter) for free. If you’re a young person who wants to advertise online, send an e-mail to David Lash at dlash@claymontnorth.org with your name, age, service, and contact information.	Neighborhood Youth Services House, Pet & Baby-sitting - Ben Oas - 12 years old - 455-7300 Kids – place your ad here FREE! E-mail dlash@claymontnorth.org