The Enhancement Team's big annual spring yard sale is coming up on March 5, at the Ramada. This is the main fundraiser each year for our busy Team, who use the proceeds to make our neighborhood a more attractive and comfortable place. Just recently, the Team had constructed, at its sole expense, the new masonry wall at the Ramada to hide the trash area, and has paid for the installation of the electric spotlight (mentioned below) to light up our Portillo entrance sign. They have plans to beautify several areas in the future, including along our walking trail and both of our entrance monuments. All the money they raise goes for the good of Esperanza Estates, and their efforts over the years have helped us keep our annual HOA dues from increasing.

The Team can use more donations for the sale, and baked goods & goodies for the bake sale that is held at the same time & place. If you have items around the house that you want to donate to help the Team help EE, please call Bev Brow (625-7741); Lorna Kitchak (838-0653); or Jackie Rautio (269-7864). To donate baked goods, call Barb McCalpin 867-8067. Remember also to come to the sale and buy, buy, buy -- to help support our Enhancement Team. The Team's motto is: We're a small group, but we do big things!

The monthly Board Meeting will be held next Monday, February 21. An agenda will be included in the next edition of this Memo. Board meetings are held at the Ramada at 1:00p.m., and all EE members are welcome to attend.

Remember the Wi-Fi 'hotspot' in our pool/Ramada area; you may use any devices needing Internet connections there, as you enjoy the sunshine and warm weather. No password is needed; just go there, turn on your device, and it should automatically show a log-in screen. Click 'Connect' and you should be all set. There's no charge, and it's much more enjoyable than sitting at home.

Esperanza Estates Xeriscape Garden Committee: Last year a group of EE gardening enthusiasts met to form the EE Xeriscape Garden Committee. A variety of projects were discussed with the focus on xeriscape gardening and fundraising. The focus this year will include 'doable' projects around EE's many public areas--to add color to our entrance monuments and trails. The first committee meeting for 2011 will be held at the Ramada on Monday, Feb. 28, at 1:30 PM.  Bill Berdine has agreed to head up the committee as Joe and Barb McCalpin have assumed new duties and responsibilities as members of the EE HOA Board. Bill has sent an email to committee members from last year, and wants to encourage anyone interested in adding more color and beauty to our neighborhood to contact him via email (whberdine@roadrunner.com) or by phone (344-7301).

Hamburger Nite last Tuesday attracted a record crowd; about 120 people showed up, and it was standing room only for a time. It was a beautiful evening after our record cold last week, and proof of how Arizona weather bounces back so quickly. The Hospitality Committee members, although kept very busy by the large number of attendees, managed to perform to the satisfaction of all--and then some. Our own Ed Buchholz (with a lot of help from Mary, no doubt) baked Valentine cookies, heart-shaped no less, as a special treat for all. Come once to these events and you'll be a regular! It is no wonder that attendance continues to increase. We in EE are getting to be a very social bunch! So much fun to come down to the Ramada and meet your friends and make new ones. It is a very small wonder why we love EE so dearly!

Free Coffee and Donuts was held last Wednesday morning, and was attended by about 35 of your neighbors. Next month and thereafter, this gathering will be held the Wednesday following the week of Hamburger Nite, which means it will usually be the third Wednesday of the month.

The Volunteer Landscape Work Crew did a masterful job of cleaning up Mesquite Park between Holgado & del Sur, and the quad yard at 1093 & 1095 del Sur last Wednesday morning following Coffee and Donuts. The area looks great now; a whole lot of material was raked up and trimmed for pickup by the regular landscapers. Volunteers included 'the regulars': Hugh & Cynthia Gates, Roger Oster, Stacie Meyer, Terry Shay, Collen & Stein Simonsen, Cynthia & Craig Surprise, Ken & Patty Adler, Tom Cooke, and Jackie Rautio. Joining in for the first time were: Gary Anderson, Orville Smith and Bruce Moulton. We are pleased at the number of new volunteers who are encouraged to join the team helping keep our neighborhood looking its best. Oversight of this activity is provided by Stoney Brown, head of the HOA landscape committee. Stoney identifies work assignments each month.

Our EE Enhancement Team, sponsors of the very successful Dessert Buffet, have been bowled over with requests for the recipes for all of the goodies that our EE chefs and bakers prepared and donated to the event. If you were a donor, wouldn't mind if others were the beneficiaries of some of your secrets, and are willing to share your recipe, please email it to Enhancement Team chair Barb McCalpin, at bmccalpin@cox.net. If you don't have email, call Barb at 867-8067, and she will make arrangements to pick up your recipe.

As noted earlier, a new spotlight has been installed at our entrance monument on Portillo, to highlight the name of our subdivision during the dark hours. The professional installation was paid for by our Enhancement Team, and no HOA funds were involved. Many thanks to resident Fred Hills, who made installation of the light possible.

Some freeze damage to our pool solar heater has been repaired, and board member and all around helper Craig Surprise completed the repairs to our fountain in Sunset Park--to protect the plumbing and mechanism from damage in future cold spells.

The 2011 Green Valley Community Directory will be available the morning of February 23, and be delivered to your door by volunteers between February 23 & 25. The volunteers are not permitted to leave directories at your gate, so if you haven't received a copy by Saturday, February 26, call Charl Petry (648-2541) to set a delivery date.

Out-of-date copies of the GVC Directory can be recycled by dropping them off at the Lewis-Brown Recycle Center at 601 S. La Canada Dr. (across from the Library Parking lot), Mon. - Sat. between 8:30 and 11:30 a.m. Recycling helps to preserve our environment, and you'll be supporting the Lions in their good works at the same time.

Elaine McDonald, a long-time EE resident, has relocated and wants all of her friends in EE to have her new address: 72750 Country Club Drive, #103, Rancho Mirage, California 92270.

Our own Chris Amoroso had his love story published in the February 13th issue of the Green Valley News.

Have a good week. Remember your Sweetheart on Valentine's Day, today, February 14.

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