The website looks pretty good already, but please note that it’s a work in progress. For example, the section headlined “Put the Homeowners First” contains what we call holding type. (We didn’t wake up this morning speaking and writing Latin, though I must admit that Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit sounds impressive.) Several improvements will be made over the next couple of months, so that by the first of the year we will have a first-class website where you will find just about everything you need as a resident of Foothill Village, including the newsletter. If you do not have access to a computer, do not fear: A paper copy will be posted near the entrance to the pool.

We’re making steady progress on the Great Paint Project. Seriously. Compliance letters are scheduled to go out in the next few days if they have not gone out already. Please note that if a section of your stucco or trim needs repainting, it’s just about a certainty that all of your stucco or trim needs repainting. All work must yield a uniform-looking result. In other words, if you paint a small section of stucco, it will almost certainly not blend in and provide a uniform color. (I’ve talked to an expert on this subject, seriously.)

Paint color options have been determined, and you will soon see them on the website. Read the instructions that accompany the options. For example, all paint must be Dunn Edwards brand in the color specified, and you cannot dilute it or make any substitutions.

The first thing you need to do before making repairs is submit an Architectural Request Form to the association board. Work cannot begin until after the board reviews the project, approves it, and signs the form. If it were a dance, we’d call it the Foothill Village Three Step:

• You submit an Architectural Request Form
• The board reviews and approves the form
• You begin the work

Of course, if the board rejects the request and specifies changes, you need to make the changes and resubmit the request. The last thing we want is to stop a project that is already underway and ask that work be redone.

You must bring your trash cans in from the street and put them out of sight by Monday night. Nothing says “This is a dumpy neighborhood” more than seeing cans splayed by the curb several days after the garbage man has bid adieu. If you are leaving for vacation Monday, make arrangements with a neighbor to put your cans away.

You might have noticed some changes to the landscaping and new lighting in the pool area. Those are just the first of several improvements planned in the coming months. The concrete tables and stools will be recoated. Shower tiles will be replaced. The walking areas will be resurfaced. And we will pay closer attention to the quality of the water in the pool and spa. The area will be closed intermittently during the repairs, but we will try to provide as much notice as possible.

This item appeared in the July newsletter but it bears repeating: We have a lot of little ones in Foothill Village, which is invigorating. When you are driving into or out of the neighborhood, please do so slowly. And if you are a parent, please discourage your kids from riding their trikes or playing in the middle of Devon Court (the entrance off Barranca). The downhill slope is enticing – hey, we all used to be kids, and downhill slopes are always enticing – but little ones in the road and drivers entering the neighborhood, especially in the late afternoon, is a recipe for disaster. Life can turn on a dime. Please think safety.