Layne Varney, General Manager
Exciting time in SunBird! Many improvement projects are taking place at the clubhouse and are nearing completion. The swimming pool was plastered August 8 and filled with water, taking just two days. Pumps were turned on and the chemicals have been balanced. All of the clean-up and restoration of the landscape has been completed and the new enlarged clubhouse pool is complete. At this time the new clubhouse swimming pool project is complete with people already swimming and enjoying this great improved amenity. The pool, decking, ramada, jacuzzi and landscape look fabulous and are a huge improvement to the clubhouse. The new enlarged swimming pool can accommodate multiple activities at the same time, always allowing for open leisure swim time throughout the entire day. We would like to thank many people who were very involved in this project that made is such a success. Darel Van Tassel of Palladio Construction was the general contractor and on the job nearly every single day performing and overseeing the work. Matt Sheer and his crew from Spartan Concrete and Pavers did an excellent job with the over 8,500 square feet of artistic pavers; Presidential Pools and the subcontractors. Last, but not least, we would like to thank Bill Hook and Dave Meyers from the SunBird Planning Committee who spent many, many days and hours also overseeing the construction. Further, we would like to thank Gudie Huffman and the SunBird Garden Club for donating and helping replant and landscape the pool area. Also a shout-out to SunBird Maintenance Manager John Smith and Landscape Supervisor Joe Anderson, Steven Smith and Chone Rocha for the many hours of work dedicated to this project.
The Horizon Room has some improvements made to the dining area and kitchen. Some color has been added to the wood panels, lighting over the bar, booths and waitress station, a char broiler was been added to the kitchen with some updated equipment, wood bar top was refinished under warranty and the carpets and complete area cleaned. Come on in and check out the updated look and try some of our new menu items.
Road maintenance work is planned this year during the month of September for Units 3-A, 4, 6-A, 6-B, 7, 8, 9, 10 and other areas that may need some attention. The crack sealing for these areas has been completed during the month of August. Crack seal is purchased as a rubber like block. It is put into either a double boiler and then heated up to 380 degrees where it becomes a hot liquid. The crack seal is then introduced to the cracks using a crack seal wand and the hot polymer modified asphalt sealant fills the crack to minimize the chance of water penetrating through to the sub base of the road. The roads will then be seal coated in September with a liquid emulsion formulation, mixed with water, sand, polymers and other binding fillers and additives which oil based material to add oils back into the asphalt and seal the surface to help protecting it from the elements. This type of maintenance for the roads helps increase the life expectancy. The work normally requires road closure for 24 hours. Once the contractor has been selected and the work schedule has been completed, notice will be delivered to those who will be affected.
Robson Publishing organizes prints and publishes the SunBird News each month at no cost to SunBird except for the postage for out of country members. Recently I had a meeting with Robson Publishing officials regarding the future of the SunBird News. Advertisers in the paper pay for the expense to publish the SunBird News so that SunBird does not. The advertisers feel they are not getting a justifiable response from advertising in the SunBird newspaper. New advertisers have been less to hesitant to advertise. With this dilemma, we might be facing a funding challenge to continue the SunBird News. If you have any ideas or vendors who might be interesting in advertising in the paper, please let the office know; further, we would encourage all SunBird residents to consider using the advertisers in the SunBird News to support future of this great communication tool of SunBird.
It has been a busy summer and we appreciate all those who have endured the extreme heat and inconveniences of improvement and construction projects around SunBird. We look forward to everyone’s safe return back to SunBird this fall and the kick off of another fun filled season here. When you arrive, please stop by the office for a “welcome home.”