Another half inch of rain early last Monday morning, plus another half inch on Saturday, make a total of 6 inches so far this monsoon in (at least one part of) EE. The official gauge for Green Valley, taken at Continental, shows 7.06 inches, as of last week, so we’re a little shy in our neighborhood.

A microburst last Sunday evening did some major damage to a very tall Eucalyptus tree in the upper Exceslo area. A giant branch, consisting of about a third of the tree fell off, creating a serious imbalance in its equilibrium, and causing it to lean toward houses in the area. It appeared likely the next wind storm would topple the tree onto the adjoining homes, causing some major damage and the possibility of injuries to the nearby residents. Hence the tree had to come out--which was initiated promptly by the tree service we normally use, and is underway. All danger has been removed, and it is now a clean-up project.

Thanks to the efforts of Board member Joe McCalpin, we were able to schedule a meeting with a representative of the Pima County Regional Flood Control District to discuss the problem of the sand washing out onto Portillo and lower Napa from the Bridge Park Wash. The meeting was productive and some valuable advice was provided about taking certain action to help alleviate the problem. In addition, the prospect of a donation, in the form of what is known as a “waddle” was indicated as a possibility. This is an item designed to allow flowage but to stop, or help stop, sediment. The District indicated they could consider it as an experiment, and will install one such item to study its efficaciousness. If successful, additional similar items could be installed by the HOA at intervals, which would hopefully eliminate, or nearly eliminate, the problem. A possibility other than the use of waddles, is a series of low, rock dams.

As mentioned in the last edition of the Memo, we had received a rather curt letter from Pima County about this issue, disclaiming any interest in the problem; however the representative who met with us indicated the tone of this letter was insensitive and it should not have been sent in that form. Rare for a governmental entity to admit error, but refreshing when they occasionally do.

Many thanks to Charlie and Sally Elliot for placing and maintaining all of the individual American flags on the mailboxes on upper Napa. Keeps our neighborhood looking very patriotic. If you wonder about the flags at Esperanza Park being missing from time to time, it is because they are removed before impending storms to try and protect them as much as possible from weather damage.

Weeds in EE are about as bad as they have been in years, but we are trying to begin to get a handle on them. Cut us a bit of slack, as it will take awhile to get around to all of our 20 plus acres of common area. A lot of the front yards are looking pretty rough, so we are asking all owners to tend to this issue--which is required by our CC&R’s. Remember, miscreants will hear from the Board after a reasonable time if yards are not cleaned up. If you are a non-resident, call your yard man or a neighbor and ask for help. Once again, if you are financially or physically unable to deal with the problem, help is available for the asking. Call 399-0455.

Trico Electric Coop, the utility who serves EE, has a program that enables you to help out those in need in our community. The program is called ORU, or Operation Round-Up. The way it works is as follows: Say your electric bill is $52.73. If you participate in ORU, your bill is automatically rounded up to $53, with the extra 27 cents going to the Operation Round-Up fund. The most you will donate is about $12 a year, and donations are tax deductable. If you dont wish to sign up for the program but can help on a one-time basis, you can send a check to Trico in any amount, payable to Operation Round-Up.

The Trico Charitable Trust, a non-profit organization, then donates those funds to deserving Trico members, schools and organizations in our community. In the 10 years the Trust has been operating, it has given more than $340,000 of ORU donations to needy people and organizations. For example, the Green Valley Assistance Home Library Project has been helped through this program. Many others have as well.

You can sign up for ORU easily by calling (520) 744-2944 and telling Trico that you want to sign up. If you need more information they will send you a brochure, or answer any questions. Please give it some thought, as it is an easy and painless way to help the many who need it.

Next week’s Memo will come to you from alternate editor Bruce Liljegren, so watch for it.

Have a good week.