Once again I wonder, where have the last three months gone? Summer has passed and the colors of fall are starting to creep into view. The cool mornings are a refreshing and welcome change. Now if it could only stay this way. I hope all of you have had an enjoyable and safe summer.

As you know, the majority of our time during the summer is taken up with mowing, weed eating, and the paving of roads. Some of the other projects we worked on over the past three months were the painting of the basketball court and a couple of drainage culverts. One on Holly Trail West near Wild Goose Lane and one on Peaceful Woods Trail at Lakeside Cove. The culvert on Holly Trail West was completely stopped up with sand. The Holly Lake Volunteer Fire department (Red Bailey & Don Wolford) brought one of their trucks and helped us by flushing out the blockage. A big thank you to the Volunteer Fire Department. With a few modifications to the drainage in this area we should be able to prevent this from plugging up again and to also keep sediment from filling in the lake near the spillway. The culvert at Lakeside Cove is the first step in controlling (not stopping) the water flowing down Lakeside Cove into the lake. Before we can repair this road we need to protect it from the eroding forces of the water draining toward the lake. My hope is that we can complete this drainage project before spring arrives and then start on the road. As always I have to take into consideration our budget constraints.

As cool weather approaches; mowing, weed eating, and asphalt work come to a close for the year. This fall and winter we are going to start a plan to trim back brush and trees that are encroaching onto the road ways. While there are many places on the ranch where branches extend into the lane of traffic and need to be trimmed back, I want to assure people that we are not going to cut back more than necessary.

While we are on the subject of trimming trees and brush, one thing I have mentioned before was the illegal dumping that goes on inside the Ranch. The majority of what I see is in section 8. That does not mean that the people living in section 8 are the ones responsible, this is just where the dumping is taking place. As I have said before, I find it hard to believe that some people care so little about the community they live in, that they feel it is okay to mar the beauty for everybody else. We have a brush dump, please use it.

Looking to the future, a concern we have that we are looking into is sediment building in Greenbriar Lake. Comparing an aerial photograph from five years ago with the way the lake looks today, there is a noticeable difference. This didn't happen overnight and it can't be fixed overnight. It will be an ongoing issue that we need to deal with. Right now I am looking into what is required by governing agencies before we can start a dredging/cleanup program. As I learn more about the requirements and we get closer to starting work, I will keep ya'll informed. Until then … May you be blessed with a bountiful harvest from the seeds that you sow.

With warm weather the main thrust of our efforts are on mowing, weed-eating and laying asphalt. Some of the major roads we have worked on are Valleywood Trail in Section 6, Holly Trail East in Section 9 and Greenbriar Trail in Section 4,7 and 8. We have also done side roads in Sections 2, 5, & 7.

Some people have asked me when we will be working on “their” road. While I would like to be able to fix everybody's road, the reality of it is that I have a budget to work within that doesn't allow me to do that. I'm trying to get the most out of the dollars we have to spend to improve roads.

Just so you are aware of what we are up against, asphalt prices in April were $57 per ton with no delivery fee. As of June 23, they were $72 per ton with a $4.15 per ton delivery fee. An increase in material cost of over 33% considerably reduces the amount of roads we are able to resurface.

Over the past few months we have been repairing and painting the picnic tables around the ranch. We have also painted stop lines in some areas, we have tilled the beach and volleyball court, we have and are continuing to repaint signs around the ranch. Street signs as well as entrance signs.

The first project I encountered at Holly Lake my first day was the remodel at the 19th Hole. It was good to have one project that the whole crew was involved in. This gave me a great opportunity to get to know all the men on the maintenance crew and assess their individual skills. Billy did a good job assembling a diverse crew with varied skills.

As many of you know we have purchased a new dump truck and trailer. Thanks to Delbert and William for their search, looking at trucks from Grand Saline to Longview, we were able to get a very good quality low mileage, 2001 Freightliner and stay below what was budgeted.

A few projects that we have completed include a roof over the pool equipment in Section 1. Protecting the pool equipment from the elements will lessen maintenance and repair expense. We had trouble with the pool hall flooding when it rained. I believe we have this problem taken care of. We have added flood lights on the island where you turn into the west entrance off of 2869. This lighting illuminates the island for better visibility for people turning in at night. We have also done fence repair in sections 3, 4, and 5.

As I am learning, roads and drainage are, and will continue to be on-going projects. We have done some pot-hole repairs and as soon as we are into warm weather for good (May) we will get started on over-laying as many of the roads that are in need, as the budget will allow.

A couple of things we have done… We have set up a regular maintenance schedule to better maintain our equipment and vehicles as well as securities vehicles. We have also set up a preventative maintenance schedule for the security gates and the back up generator for security.

One thing I've seen that bothers me is people dumping brush on cul-de-sacs that have no houses or few houses on them. It's sad to realize some people care so little bout their community as to dump brush illegally. There is a brush dump, please use it and help keep Holly Lake Ranch beautiful.

Since the last newsletter, the maintenance department has been steadily preparing for the busy spring and summer that lies ahead. The warm winter weather has not helped in eradicating any of the weeds, so it looks like a full six months of mowing and weed trimming for the maintenance crew. We will also continue removing the multitude of dead trees from the right of ways and parks. Soon we will be implementing the 2008 road repair plan. With over 45 miles of roads, we try our best to design a plan that will best serve the community.

Currently the maintenance department is working hard renovating the restaurant facility. They are tearing out and adding walls, building an extension to the existing bar, cutting a serving window into the kitchen and tearing out the cabinets. It will look quite different when they are done.

As some of you may already know, Billy Coyle has resigned from the maintenance department. Billy was a mainstay at the department for over thirteen years and brought impeccable talent and skills to the department. He will be sorely missed. Good Luck Billy with your new electrical business. With Billy's departure, a new maintenance supervisor has been hired. David Grover is joining the maintenance team and brings with him a diverse resume. David has been in maintenance and construction for over twenty years, most recently at Arriva where he was the shop foreman in charge of kitchen stainless steel manufacturing. He also has experience as a heavy equipment operator, vehicle mechanic, and has worked in building construction. Please welcome David Grover to the Holly Lake family.