Then Now

Sorry, no method yet for directly submitting the news. So if you have news items, announcements, requests, a cabin for sale; write it up the way you want it to appear and email it to dan@aspenhof.info. (Hint: anything in color below is likely to be a hyperlink. Click on it!)

7 November 2008: Cabin for sale: Cabin #77. $59,000. Contact Jim Erlinger, 800-248-9995, 636-391-3000. (from Jim Erlinger, jim@pesticidebroker.com)

25 September 2008: Cabin for sale: Cabin #31. Pictures here. Double dormer, large deck with beautiful view of "Pumpkins and Pines," cave opening on property that borders Aspenhof common ground. Furnished to move in. Many updates including new roof 2007, new electric panel, new water pump. Call Ron at (cell)314-249-6037 or (home)314-961-5762. (from Ron Mendica, ronmendica@sbcglobal.net)

22 September 2008: New photos -- Aspenhof's Little Jewels. (from Dan Landiss, address above)

18 September 2008:Fishing Derby 2008: Our 3rd Annual Kids' Fishing Derby was great fun! The Memorial Weekend event was not without its challenges, with a downpour in the middle of the action. But the young anglers persevered and many walked away with catches. The event couldn't have happened without the volunteers that came down to help, and the many donations of snacks, coffee, prizes, etc. Special thanks to Gander Mountain for the outdoor related donations, The Switch Agency for the Glaceau Vitamin Water donation, and to Tim Walsh of Seanchai Communications, donating the new fishing poles and taking pictures. Click here(from Suzanne Bremehr, bremehrs@sbcglobal.net)

15 September 2008: More flood photos! Suzanne Bremehr sent more photos of the aftermath of Hurricane Ike(from Suzanne Bremehr, bremehrs@sbcglobal.net)

14 September 2008: Kirk Volding sent two photos [1 2] of the beach with the message that the beach was OK on Friday afternoon (12 September), but under water this morning (14 September). He also said the roads did not suffer too much abuse. The first photo is of the north (boat dock) end of the beach. In the second you can see one of the swimming floats lodged against the bridge over the spillway, and water filling the entire width of the spillway under the bridge. (from Kirk Volding, kirk.volding@ge.com)

4 September 2008: New feature! Navigate back to the Aspenhof Home Page and click on "Weather radar." (from Dan Landiss, address above)

4 September 2008: Hello everyone! We have an opportunity to effect CREC! You probably just received your newsletter this week. The election of the board takes place on Friday, September 19th at the National Equestrian Center in Lake Saint Louis (6880 Lake Saint Louis Blvd). To vote you need to show up between 4:30 and 7:30 to register and can then cast a ballot.

From the Current Times: "You will receive a ballot when you register. Secure ballot collection receptacles will be located on the premises for your convenience. Ballots will also be collected during the meeting after candidates speak."

Dennis (Denny) Hornberger is a friend of mine. His son works at Sachs. I've spoken to Denny about our issues and he will be an ally. It usually takes about 900 votes to be elected to this board. If all of Aspenhof shows up and votes for him, we can make a big difference in how this turns out.

I don't know how to get the word out, but perhaps a posting on our Web site and/or an email to our owners? If the board feels that it's worth while, perhaps even a quick post card to our mailing list. This is a real opportunity to put a friend on CREC's Board of Directors! Thanks, Matt (from Matt Doell, mdoell@sachsco.com)

3 September 2008: Tomorrow the last of the 2008 - 2009 assessment letters will be mailed! Please note that there will be a $25 late fee for any receipts postmarked after 1 December 2008. After 1 February 2009 that increases to $50. Thank you in advance to all those who pay early, since that should enable us to get through the rest of this year without tapping the reserve fund. (from Dan Landiss, address above)

22 August 2008: Don't miss the annual regatta, picnic and owners meeting! You can find your own copy of the schedule here. (from Coleen Howell CHowell@Landam.com)

6 August 2008: Jim Marschel found a women's watch at the beach in late July. Please contact Jim or Karen at 636-456-8513 if it belongs to you. (from Coleen Howell CHowell@Landam.com)

31 July 2008: Patrick McEvoy would like to buy a cabin. Anyone who wants to send pictures, flyer, or brochure of their property for sale can reach Patrick at p.mcevoy@mrhsd.k12.mo.us. (from Patrick McEvoy, p.mcevoy@mrhsd.k12.mo.us)

22 July 2008: Attention Property Owners! The 2008 Aspenhof Cabin Tour needs you! Have you made a change to your cabin that others would love? Cabin for sale? Consider opening your cabin for this year’s tour. This Regatta Weekend event is always well attended and lots of fun. Contact Suzanne Bremehr at bremehrs@sbcglobal.net or 314-960-5046 if you are interested in having your cabin on the tour. (from Suzanne Bremehr, bremehrs@sbcglobal.net)

18 July 2008: Fishing Derby video! Suzanne Bremehr has made available a video of our Fishing Derby 2007. Special thanks to Tim Walsh of Seanchai Communications, brother of Suzanne Bremehr (cabin 33), for his time and efforts putting the video together. Thanks, Tim! There are three videos of ten minutes each (YouTube's limit):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2Qf7AzlzRE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cimc3eW-j0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utLTL7AgKhk

(from Suzanne Bremehr, bremehrs@sbcglobal.net)

11 July 2008: New owner (change from parents to kid) cabin #2 has a Webster Oak woodburning stove in great condition for sale. This stove gets VERY hot and has a catalytic converter to burn gases released from burning wood. It was new in the 70's but is in the style of the early 1900's. BEST OFFER. Call Stuart Zatlin at 314-580-0004 or email szatlin@hotmail.com (from Stuart Zatlin, szatlin@hotmail.com)

26 June 2008: A new addition: the Aspenhof weather forecast! (from Dan Landiss, address above)

12 June 2008: Cabin #6 is for sale. Call Loy Roberts at 314-704-4420 or email ld_roberts@hotmail.com. (from Loy Roberts, ld_roberts@hotmail.com)

8 June 2008: The last two weeks people have been fishing on the beach area. The beach has been defined as from the spillway to the boat area. With the rope and floats some new owners may believe those define the beach.

About nine years ago two people ended up in the hospital. One had stepped on a treble hook that had fallen from a tackle box. We did a magnet sweep of the beach and came up with about 14 hooks. (from Paul Fleming, pfleming@mail.win.org)

24 May 2008: Cassie and T. D. Ward would like to buy a cabin. Contact Cassie at ckward@sbcglobal.net. (from Cassie Ward, ckward@sbcglobal.net)

19 May 2008: Birds! I found a bunch of my bird photos, mostly from Aspenhof but a couple from elsewhere. Have fun! (from Dan Landiss, address above)

13 May 2008: Several new owners have expressed difficulty in find a company to insure their cabins. One company that seems to understand the issues and is more flexible is United Mutual. The representative in Washington, MO is David Kopp, 636-239-6047. (from Bill Morgan, Bbillymog@aol.com)

6 May 2008: The third annual Fishing Derby! Let's meet on Sunday, May 25 from 8:00 AM until 10:00 AM at the Big Lake and fish together. The derby is open to all Aspenhof kids, with kids 11 and under accompanied by an adult. Children will need to bring their own fishing pole, tackle boxes and bait. In addition to fishing, the morning will feature snacks, prize drawings and fun contests. We can always take donations for the kids! We ask anyone who might have a contact for corporate donations to the goodie bags, like sample size sunscreen, bug repellent (Thanks Benjamin!), snacks, etc... please call or email me. Participation has grown the past two years. We expect about 50 participants for 2008. (from Suzanne Bremehr, bremehrs@sbcglobal.net)

6 May 2008: From Cuivre River Electric: There will be considerable work done in the Aspenhof area over the next four to six weeks. I was told this morning that the line crews are going to start dropping off poles and framing them today and starting this week. This is the 3-phase line upgrade from Highway 47 down to Dry Fork Road. The line crews have gate keys and are aware of security concerns. (from Scott Skopec, Cuivre River Electric Cooperative right-of-way superintendent)

2 May 2008: Fish! I was sent two photographs, the first of a 12 inch bluegill caught last fall, and the second of a 17 inch crappie caught in April 2008. No fish in those lakes, nah. (from Dan Landiss, address above)

22 April 2008: Minutes from the 1 April 2008 Owners Meeting are now available here. (from Maureen Donlin, donlinmj@slu.edu)

3 April 2008: Frequent questions are "do you know of any cabins for sale?" or "how do I sell my cabin?" Here is a flyer that explains one resource. (from Dan Miesner, Dan.Miesner@innsbrook-resort.com)

2 April 2008: Many of you are aware that Jean Caramanna is also known as Col. Jean Caramanna, Deputy Commander of Nursing, 325th Combat Support Hospital, Al Asad Air base, Anbar Province, Iraq. Last night at the Owners' Meeting Ned Koprowski brought us the happy news that she plans to be back here by July 4th!

Jean also sent us (via Ned) an American Flag (and certificate) in honor of the Aspenhof Community. It is my understanding that the Trustees plan to fly this flag at the beach, where we have lights that will allow us to leave it up 24 hours a day. No matter what each person's feelings about this war might be, I have never heard anyone disagree that the troops themselves deserve our support -- and Jean is certainly providing it. I'm touched that with all she has to do, she still thinks about Aspenhof. (from Dan Landiss, address above)

11 January 2008: I noticed this past weekend that by bad habits we're starting to build a new road at Aspenhof. It is a cutoff from the main road, just north of the trees past the horseshoe pits, and leads across the field straight to the dumpster. It appears lots of people are driving across the field to shortcut to the dumpster. Everyone enjoys a good drive across the grass now and then, but when it becomes habit and happens in the same place over and over, we're going to eventually have an obvious trail formed. And this is in the off season, once warm weather hits and traffic increases, we're really going to pack it down. (from Danny Hommes, danny@pixelography.net)

11 January 2008: Happy New Year! I am pleased to report that the annual assessment has been received from all but six cabins. These have been contacted by telephone, except for one whose telephone "is not accepting calls." If you mailed your assessment in 2007, the post office has lost it, and you should consider voiding that check and issuing a new one. If you did NOT mail your check in 2007, it is now overdue and you should include the $25 late fee. Thank you! (from Dan Landiss, address above)

3 December 2007: Once again materials other than household trash have been found in the dumpster. The company that services that dumpster will discontinue our service if this happens. NO YARD WASTE, NO CONSTRUCTION DEBRIS. If you see anyone putting anything other than household trash in the dumpster, politely remind them that this will result in discontinuation of the service. If you are uncomfortable approaching them directly, make a note of their hang tag number and contact the trustees. Thank you. Use it right or lose it! (from Dan Landiss, address above)

1 November 2007: Have you ever wondered how to contact a Trustee, or which Trustees to contact about different matters? Now you can send email to all nine Trustees at once, and let them sort it out! Just address a message to trustees@aspenhof.info and it will be mirrored to the entire Board. (from Dan Landiss, address above)

30 October 2007: The contractor who manages the big dumpster near our meeting grounds has advised us that he found the dumpster one-third to one-half full of sticks and branches. He said he will discontinue service if that happens again. Why would anyone who lives in a woods put sticks in a dumpster anyway? Styrofoam insulation and a leaf blower have also been seen. Folks, that is for ordinary cabin garbage, not yard trash or construction debris. Use it right or lose it! (from Dan Landiss, address above)

23 October 2007: Two sets of fall photos have been posted, "colors" and "bonfire". (from Dan Landiss, address above)

19 September 2007: We are preparing to refurnish our cabin. We have two fairly nice sofas available to anyone that needs them. Nothing fancy but very comfortable and perfect for the cabin. (from Kirk Volding, kvolding@earthlink.net, 314-330-0076)

16 September 2007: Minutes of the 2 September 2007 General meeting are now on line. (from Brian Kern, BrianK@OculusInc.com)

5 September 2007: Mark Borella's 2007 Regatta photos are on line! (from Mark Borella, mborellaco@earthlink.net)

4 September 2007: T-Shirt order form now online. (from Suzanne Bremehr, bremehrs@sbcglobal.net)

26 August 2007: Paul Martin would like to buy a cabin. (from Paul Martin, pauldmartin3@hotmail.com)

25 August 2007: Join us on this year's cabin tour on Sunday, 2 September! Brochure Side A Side B(from Suzanne Bremehr, 314-960-5046, bremehrs@sbcglobal.net)

24 July 2007: Regatta 2007 schedule (from Coleen Howell CHowell@Landam.com)

24 July 2007: Cabin #156 is for sale. (from Rob Litz rdlitz@cbsattorneys.com)

21 June 2007: Memorial Weekend 2007 brought our Aspenhof community periods of sun, bursts of wind and rain but most of all a great Second Annual Kids' Fishing Derby. Forty-three kids officially signed in and participated. Fish were caught and released, lots of prizes were awarded and everyone went home a winner. Special thanks to all that helped & donated their time and efforts to help make it a great morning. Pictures of the day at http://aspenhof.info/fishing2007/index.html. (from Suzanne Bremehr bremehrs@sbcglobal.net)

13 June 2007: Metal Detector: Wanted to borrow: a metal detector to aid in identifying buried well head on our property (well is 30+ yrs old, and regulations at that time did not mandate a visible well head above the ground.) We have a general idea where to look. (from Teresa Wetzel #121 trwetzel@gmail.com)

5 June 2007: Greetings neighbors: On my way to Fort McCoy in preparation for deployment to Iraq. Thanks to those who organized and attended the send off at the beach last week. Will miss the Aspenhof community over the next year or so. Here is my email address—would love to hear from you. (from Jean Caramanna #108 Audrey.caramanna@us.army.mil)

4 June 2007: A neighborly request. We have been contacted by our neighbors at Coventry Subdivision. They are concerned that some Aspenhof folks have been using their trash dumpsters. They have, at times, been overflowing causing them extra expense for clean up and additional emptying charges. Although acknowledging that it isn't ALL Aspenhof, they have taken down some license plate numbers and so know who some of the people are. Please do not place your trash in Coventry's dumpsters. It is a reasonable request. As neighbors they have simply asked us to help with this problem and hope that it can be corrected without resorting to any legal action. However, they will have to find a solution one way or another. So if you are one of the folks putting your trash in Coventry's dumpsters, please stop. Remember, you know who you are… and so do they. (from Matt Doell mdoell@sachsco.com)

30 May 2007: Lost & Found: Someone left a Joan Didion novel at the beach on Sunday May 27th during the rainstorm, we've got it at our cabin (#99). (from Dave and Kim Dolson david.h.dolson@boeing.com, 636-391-1394)

11 April 2007: Matt Doell reports further on Missouri House Bill 811, House Committee Substitute. This bill would relax the guidelines for Cuivre River's clearing inside Aspenhof. (from Matt Doell mdoell@sachsco.com)

4 April 2007: Matt Doell reports on Missouri House Bill 811, House Committee Substitute. This bill would relax the guidelines for Cuivre River's clearing inside Aspenhof. (from Matt Doell mdoell@sachsco.com)

15 March 2007: Cuivre River Electric news - Teresa Wetzel reports here on a recent important meeting with a company representative about tree-cutting and property access. (from Teresa Wetzel ptw7331@sbcglobal.net)

3 March 2007: Mark Borella has prepared a movie, with sound track, of the show he presented after the 2006 annual meeting. Check it out here! Thanks, Mark! (from Dan Landiss dan@aspenhof.info)

2 February 2007 (Happy Groundhog Day!): I met with Eric Twellman and Scott Skopec this morning. The roads are covered in about 1" of snow, but OK with a 4x4. Scott assured me that notice will go out at least 2 weeks prior to cutting, via mail to the address they have for your power bill. This is restoring the cutting they did last time. Cedar trees have grown into the right-of-ways and are encroaching on lines. They will place a much more substantial fence at the lower end of the Sun Valley clearing and remove the barbed wire at both ends.

I think they will be cautious with owners who express concern, but no response means they will do what they deem necessary and infer that the owner has approved. Since this is not "Aspenhof Property" but rather that of individual owners, those owners (like you) must voice the concerns. If you're OK with the cutting, you don't need to do anything. If you have concerns, now, you don't need to wait for a post card. Feel free to call or write to Scott. Tell him that you saw this note posted by me, and ask for specifics about what he's going to do on your property. Be specific about what you want or don't want CREC to do.

Scott Skopec
Superintendent, Right-of-Way Maintenance
1112 E. Cherry St.
PO Box 160
Troy, MO 63379
800-392-3709 x247
sskopec@cuivre.com

I did insist that they not use this right-of-way as an entrance. It is to be blocked off and only entered for maintenance of the right-of-way itself. They will leave us any cedar posts that are removed from any right-of-way. (The last time they were used to build the fence around the boat area) Like last time, they will leave some mulch piled near the common grounds. Feel free to help yourself if you would like any for landscaping. (from Matt Doell mdoell@sachsco.com)

1 February 2007: Watch your mailbox! CREC (Cuivre River) is going to send out "post cards" to all Aspenhof owners within the next couple of weeks.

The cards will inform you that CREC plans to begin tree trimming again this year. The CREC standard is 15 ft either side of a primary line, and a 5 ft circle around a secondary line. (The secondary line is the one from the transformer to your cabin.)

If you don't reply to the post card, CREC will interpret this as permission for them to cut trees in this manner on your property. As you've seen in the news, electric companies must keep the lines free of trees or the electrical service is in jeopardy. However, CREC has promised to notify us each time prior to any cutting and/or spraying to be done in Aspenhof. This gives you an opportunity to express your concerns about the excessive cutting and spraying we saw done last time. I encourage you to take advantage of this and let Scott Skopec know how you feel. In recent conversations with Dan Brown (CEO of CREC), he assured me that CREC would be more responsive to our wishes and respectful of our property.

We want CREC to understand, maintaining the right-of-way is necessary, but please cut the minimum necessary to achieve that goal. (from Matt Doell mdoell@sachsco.com)

24 November 2006: Cabin Wanted - Mike and Michelle Wilson are looking for an Aspenhof cabin. Email Mike at wilson@westar.com, or call (636)946-4801  (cell)(636)219-8905. (from Mike Wilson wilson@westar.com)

11 November 2006: New photos have been posted here - no need to stay home in the winter! (from Dan Landiss dan@aspenhof.info)

29 October 2006: Cabin Wanted -  Bob Sparks is looking for an Aspenhof cabin. Email Bob at rss5995@hotmail.com, or call 636-305-1331. (from Bob Sparks rss5995@hotmail.com)

22 August 2006: I see there are three or four cabins for sale, price range from $50,000 to $129,000. Want to see your cabin listed here? Send your description to the email address above. I get several emails every year from people looking for cabins. (from Dan, address above)

21 August 2006: New feature! An experimental Aspenhof news page is now on line. (from Dan, address above)


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