Your Vote Matters!
By now, all homeowners should have received their ballots for election of Board members, as well as proposed Bylaw and CC&R changes to be voted at the EE HOA Annual Meeting.
Several important changes to the CC&Rs have been proposed, and are included on the ballot that accompanied the recent mailing.
In order to pass, any CC&R change requires an affirmative vote of 51% of the lots.
If you do not mark and return your ballot, you have effectively voted "NO" on all proposals.
If you support a proposed change to the CC&R's, it is important that you submit your ballot.

Hikers to Work Up a Sweat Today
EE Hikers head towards the Whipple Observatory Visitor's Center this morning at 8:30 am with a 4-5 mile, intermediate level hike on the agenda. A short side hike to a sweat lodge and views of the Santa Rita Cash Box Formation will be the reward for hiking rocky trails with an elevation gain of 800 feet.
All EE residents are welcome. Bring water, snacks and $2 carfare to the Ramada--a compass, GPS and bread crumbs are optional.

Burger Night 2013
The first Burger Night of 2013 will be on Tuesday, January 8 at the Ramada. Socializing starts at 4:30 and grilling begins at 5:00. Enjoy a hamburger, cheeseburger or veggie burger, chips, a pickle and drink for $6.00.

Pool Closing Support Group
Sadly, we report that the pool and hot tub are closed for deck repairs this week. Standing by the gate clad in your swimsuit and sobbing uncontrollably will only distract the workers. So buck up water people and head home for a long bath or shower. The EE Gardeners request that swimmers refrain from jumping into the fountain at Sunset Park. Re-opening will be announced with a sign on the gate, special memo, or Kris Bean yelling, "Yahoo!!!"

Calling All EE Golfers
Meet at the Ramada today at 1 pm to set up a regularly scheduled, friendly, neighborhood golf league. Men and women of all skill levels are welcome. Can't be there today? Give Joe McCalpin a call at 867-8067 and let him know what days might work for you.

Frost Delays Pickleball Start
It's not just your nose that's sensitive to these frosty mornings. Our pickleball courts need time for the sun to work its magic and dry them out. Until the mornings warm up, pickleball will start at 10:00 on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays (recreational play) and at 1:00 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays (competitive play). In spite of the cold, play is heating up, and many new players have joined the ranks, bringing the total to 28.

Public Arts and Gardeners Collaborate
The EE Arts Club and the EE Gardeners Club are having a combined workshop to decorate garden pots, build the desert tortoise, and work on the pueblo project this Monday and Tuesday (Jan 7 & 8) at 1pm in the Ramada. This workshop is open to club members only. However, if you had experience with the centennial flag/snake project and wish to join the club/s, please feel free to show up and pitch in.

This Week At The EE Cinema
Movie: Best in Show (Dog lovers won't want to miss this spoof on prestigious dog shows.)
When: Wednesday, January 9, 6:00
Where: EE Ramada
Admission: Donation to EE Arts Club ($2.00 suggested)

Annual Meeting: Same Place, New Time
The EE HOA Annual Meeting will be held on January 21 at the GVR Desert Hills Recreation Center on Camino del Sol. The starting time this year will be 2 o'clock, with sign-in beginning at 1:30. Notices of the meeting, and ballots, have been mailed to each EE homeowner's December address of record. If you have not received your mailing, contact Joe McCalpin at 867-8067.

Names & Addresses Directories
The 2013 EE directory will be available for purchase at the HOA Annual Meeting on January 21. There have been many changes in the listings since the 2012 edition, so you will certainly want to buy a new one. In fact, you may want two--so you can take one with you in the summer or keep one in your car. Price is just $3.00 each.
You can also purchase directories by contacting Mary Beth at merrymary7@q.com or by calling her at 399-0299.

First Day Potluck--a First Class Celebration
Sixty-three EE residents exchanged warm "Happy New Year" greetings at the 2013 First Day Party. Propane heaters, warm clothes and the tasty offerings of multiple crock pots kept participants toasty. Kudos to Jane Ellingson, Mona Sheffield, Marian Mundale, Linda Winterland, Kathleen Norman, Pat Sharpe, and Mary Beth Wallace for helping to start the New Year off in EE style.

Palo Verde Park Takes Shape
EE thanks Bill Berdine, Kris Bean, Tom Buinicky, Tom Cooke, Jane Ellingson, Eric Ellingson, Martin Kloet, Dick Vincent, Jim Lindberg, Barb McCalpin, Stacie Meyer, Boyd Morse, Kathleen Norman and Max Perry for their sweat equity in Palo Verde Park. Last week's Gardener's work session involved constructing some rock enclosures for future plantings. Be watching for flowers this spring!

EE Centennial Project Makes 'Top GV Events' List
In case you missed it in Wednesday's GV News, the completion of our ceramic flag and snake was included in the newspaper's 2012 Year in Review. Thanks again to all the volunteers who help make EE one of the "movers and shakers" in GV.

Identity Crisis?
Maybe you need a name badge for EE social functions. The next batch of name badge orders will be placed on January 27. Contact Melodye Cooke at 399-0455 or melodye1@cox.net to order a badge ($6.00) or replacement magnet ($1.00).

Help Spread The Word
Esperanza Estates is a wonderful place to live. What better way to let the world know how you feel than by displaying an EE license plate. We've been seeing more of them around town lately. Contact Bill Berdine at whberdine@roadrunner.com to purchase a plate for $10.

Book Club
New residents Kathy LaVanway and Cindy Krantz will co-lead the EE Book Club. If you signed up to join this new group, you should have received an e-mail from Kathy on January 5th with updated information about the time and meeting place. If you haven't received the e-mail you should contact her at kathylavanway@gmail.com.

Check Your Pipe Insulation
Okay, you know you insulated your water pipes to prevent freeze up. But, is the insulation still there? We noticed, by chance, that ours was mostly gone, with only tiny remnants, and some tape, confirming it had once been in place. Good nesting material? Worth a periodic look.

Mystery Solved
Judy Prato is the lucky winner of an EE license plate. Judy correctly guessed the mystery woman wearing a box on her head in the photo appearing in last month's Periodico was Mary Beth Wallace. We are not at liberty to disclose why Mary Beth had a box on her head or how Judy identified her.

What's Up in EE

HIKERS	8:30 AM	MON	RAMADA
POOL CLOSED	ALL DAY	MON THRU ???	POOL & HOT TUB
GOLF LEAGUE	1:00 PM	MON	RAMADA
PBALL/ADVANCED	1:00 PM	MON, WED, SAT	PBALL/TENNIS CRT
ARTS/GARDEN MOSAIC	1:00 PM	MON, TUES	RAMADA
PICKLEBALL/ ALL	10:00 AM	TU, THUR, SAT, SUN	PBALL/TENNIS CRT
BURGER NIGHT	4:30 PM	TU	RAMADA
MOVIE	6:00 PM	WED	RAMADA
TENNIS	8:00 AM	FRI	TENNIS/PBALL CRT