The Democratic National Convention

The last time the Democratic National Convention was in Denver was 1908. A century later, it will take place from 25 to 28 August, w/ some of the festivities beginning as early as the 22nd.

I work downtown & am both curious & nervous about the convention. Although my company has made arrangements for its employees to work elsewhere that week, I'm planning on braving it. I take light rail into downtown & get off @ 18th & California (hopefully far enough away from the eye).

I've heard that other, nearby cities are also bracing for the convention. Will you be affected by it? If so, are you planning to avoid it altogether or to deal w/ whatever inconveniences come w/ 50,000 descending on downtown that week?

Announcing the Lake Shore Neighbors' Blog

We've been thinking about starting this blog for awhile. We hope it grows into a useful forum that helps us to stay connected w/ one another; a place where neighbors w/ thoughtful, divergent opinions can have frank discussions.

We welcome your comments, criticisms, feedback, ideas, & suggestions.

Now that you're here, what can you do?

First, please check out what we've posted so far, especially the beautifully written post by JP Morris. As you read, please leave your comments (anonymously, if you prefer). There's a link after each post for comments.

We're also conducting an informal poll on whether or not you're planning to attend the annual homeowners meeting on 18 September. Please take a moment to let us know.

If you'd like to put up your own posts, we can add you as an author on this blog. Just send an e-mail request to onlinelakeshore@gmail.com.

Finally, if you'd like to receive e-mail whenever this blog is updated, subscribe to it by entering your e-mail address in the Get E-mail Updates field & clicking Subscribe.

Thank you for your interest!

What Makes Lakeshore So Special? (After 8 years of living here, I think I figured it out)

Eight Years ago in the spring of 2000 during the Real Estate Boom, we bought our home in Lakeshore. We had admired the neighborhood for years and thought it would be out of our price range. We were delighted to find we could afford our lovely home on Baker Place and we moved in.

This community is so special and we knew that even before we bought a home here, but we really appreciate it 8 years later. We love the peaceful grounds of the Lake. I walk around it all year long and enjoy seeing the changing of seasons. In winter, it can be a snowy wonderland with the Christmas lights on the gazebo and the Canadian geese crowding around what little water hasn’t turned to ice.

In spring we always look forward to the little baby ducklings that inevitably appear swimming behind their mommy in a perfect, single-file line. This has become an annual tradition in Lakeshore. Neighbors come out of their houses and begin to greet one another again after the long winter. Kids start riding their bikes.

The lovely summers are kicked off with the opening of our pool. It is such a luxury to have such a nice pool that is never crowded. Other communities share their pool with a thousand or more houses. I have been to these pools and seen the elbow-to-elbow crowds. We have only 245 houses to share all these lovely amenities and that makes these amenities beautiful and un-crowded. That is a rare phenomenon indeed!

When the 4th of July comes around it is a Norman Rockwell painting here in Lakeshore. The kids decorate their bikes and the local fire department leads the parade. What a wonderful slice of old-fashioned, Americana we have right here in Aurora. What other neighborhood can boast what we have? I believe we have the best neighborhood in Aurora bar none.

In autumn as the leaves burst into color, the kids get ready for trick or treating. There is always a house or two that really does it up for Halloween. What a wonderful community Lakeshore is for kids to grow up in. My kids know this and tell me so.

I am proud to live here. When people are proud of their neighborhood, it shows. I encourage all my fellow homeowners to join me in this pride that makes Lakeshore so special. When a neighborhood has pride, it shows in its homes. I realize that times are tough right now and there are a lot of sad, abandoned houses in our pretty, little neighborhood. This too will pass and we will rise again as the shining example of what an American slice of heaven looks like. Lakeshore is more than a housing development. It is a true community.

Pool Issues

Recently, there was a flurry of e-mail on the state of the pool. Residents expressed concerns regarding how the life guards have been performing. Specifically, there were complaints about:

• residents who are under 18 bringing in groups of friends
• pool parties being held w/out any additional life guards
• inappropriate language & behavior @ the pool
• the pool & area around the pool not being cleaned
• life guards not guarding the pool & not sitting in the guard chair
• adult swim going on for too long

I contacted Brenda, the Pool Committee Chair. Both Brenda & Lisa, our HOA President, met w/ Front Range Recreation to address these complaints.

Please be sure to let Brenda know if you continue to see problems @ the pool.

Speaking on behalf of the Lake Shore residents, thank you to the Pool Committee for all their efforts in maintaining our pool!

Vote Early, Vote, umm, Early

This year's presidential election promises to be quite exciting & Colorado is one of the battleground states (The Big 5: Picking the States That Will Pick the President). As important as voting is, I'm a bit worried about long lines on election day. Arapahoe County has plenty of info on mail-in ballots & early voting locations. Are you planning on standing in line in election day? Is this part of the experience?

I recently heard a couple of interesting stories on voting. One discusses how we may choose our neighborhood based, in part, on our desire to live among like-minded people ('The Big Sort': Red & Blue Divide Neighbors, Too). I don't know that I agree w/ this contention, but it did get me to wondering about the possibility that bumper stickers, car models, & landscaping make us feel more or less comfortable in a particular neighborhood. What do you think?

Another study discusses how our polling place may affect our vote (Study: Your Polling Place Affects How You Vote). Again, I'm not certain I agree, but perhaps there are many more folks who make up their minds on
election day than I realize. Thoughts?

Gas Prices

I just put $50 into my 12-year old Jetta's gas tank. It looks like I spent about $35 to fill it up @ the beginning of the year. It's not just gas -- groceries, dining out, & everything else has gone up. We've already gone though the exercise of figuring out what we can cut out in order to cut back on monthly expenses.

How about you? What changes have you made to reign in those monthly expenses? Are you car pooling, taking light rail, telecommuting, eating in, clipping coupons, shopping sales, foregoing you family vacation for a staycation?

There are lots of websites that have helpful advice. I particularly like this one for gas prices.

Annual Meeting

In the July newsletter, there was an announcement that the annual homeowners meeting is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, 18 September @ 6:00 PM @ Vassar Elementary School.

I haven't been in a few years, but am planning to attend this year. I'm curious about what was discussed at the past couple of annual meetings. In particular, was there much discussion about our monthly dues increasing from $90 to $92 to $94.50?

Are you planning on attending the meeting? Why or why not? What questions would you like to ask @ the annual meeting?

BTW, we will be posting a synopsis of the meeting w/in a day or two of the meeting itself. Stay tuned!