Spring Newsletter - May 12, 2022
-New Website: Our new website has “gone live” recently. There are still minor things to be tweaked or added but I encourage you to browse through it to become familiar with it. It has the same web address — www.thha.org - but has a new look. One of the useful additions to the site is the ability to submit the “Requests for Approval of Improvements” directly from the website with the ability to add pictures or attachments when necessary. Let us know what you think and if you have any suggestions.
-Neighborhood Picnic Date: Do I dare announce the date for the 2022 Neighborhood Picnic? We’ve had to cancel the 2020 and 2021 picnics but I’m feeling pretty confident that we’ll be able to have a picnic this year on Sunday, September 11. Now it’s time to get creative and help us come up with a theme for the picnic - maybe Carnival? We’d love for you to vote on Carnival or the following options but feel free to add your own ideas too:
We were going to have an Olympic Theme in 2020 because of the Olympics being held that year but it doesn’t have the same meaning this year. However, we could have a sports/game theme , Tailgate, theme for example and come dressed in your favorite team attire.
Oktoberfest
Talent Show
Mexican Fiesta (we love Ochoas Taco Food Cart)
Honoring the First Responders and other heroes who worked tirelessly
through the pandemic (including many of our neighbors)
We don’t necessarily need a theme but it helps in choosing the menu, decorating, planning activities and just adds to the fun. Other than Carnival, all of these mentioned above have been done before but they were popular and we’ve got many new neighbors who haven’t been here for a neighborhood picnic before.
-Please share your picnic ideas via email to board@thha.org.
-Remember to trim the branches of your trees that border the sidewalks to maintain the required clearance of 7’ from the sidewalk. There are trees that need to be trimmed along the sidewalk that is on Thompson so we’ve asked for an estimate to have that done.
-Due to rising costs of all aspects of maintaining our neighborhood & HOA, there will be an increase in HOA dues in January 2023. Therefore the dues will be raised to $200/year starting in 2023. The dues have been $150/year for at least 25 years so it does seem appropriate to increase them now due to the increase in landscaping costs, insurance, water and electricity and other maintenance costs.
-Also being included on the website in June will be details of what is being considered in establishing guidelines for using your home as a short-term rental, such as AirB&B.
-This newsletter is being sent as an attachment this time but we’re considering just sending a notification in the future that a new newsletter has been added to the website. That way you can read it at your leisure and not have to try to find the email several days later or weeks later when you have the time to read it. I’m not sure that many people actually have the time to open the attachment when it’s sent by email.
-The CC&Rs don’t allow placing advertising signs at our entrance but there are signs that are placed there quite often. Feel free to remove them and place them down gently (we don’t want to be rude about it) on the grassy strip away from the entrance if you want to. The exception is Realtor signs. The CC&Rs have the same rule for those but I feel like, as good neighbors, we want people to be aware that there are houses for sale so we don’t want to object to Realtor signs. I guess I’m looking at it as if I were selling my home, I’d be happy for the Realtor to advertise that.
This is a great neighborhood and we appreciate the care people take of their homes and yards — thanks for being wonderful neighbors.
And, as always, we welcome new Board members so contact us if you’re interested in being part of the group of us who meet most months and you too can make a difference in maintaining Thompson Highlands as one of the premier neighborhoods in the greater Portland area. It’s also a great way to meet other neighbors and find out what’s going on in your comkunity
From your Thompson Highlands HOA Board of Directors board@thha.org
Pat Goodell, President
Paul Cummings, Treasurer
Mike Mitlehner, Secretary
Heather Pool
Rosemary Casamassa, Architectural Committee Head with Glenn Casamassa Hans George, Webmaster and New Neighbor Greeter with Selina George