PO Box 10646 Kansas City, MO 64188-0646 April 2001

Welcome to all of the new families that have moved into the neighborhood over the last year! Involvement in your community is very important to the success of the Association. The easiest way to be involved is simply attend the meetings which are held every 2nd Sunday of the month at 4:00pm at the clubhouse. For the most part, Board members and those positions important to the Association are volunteers- no special training or expertise needed ...just concerned homeowners who want to take part in keeping our community alive and home values UP! Your attendance, opinions and input are the backbone of our community. We hope this newsletter offers some helpful information for our 260 homes.

CLUBHOUSE...The clubhouse will be closed for repairs and renovations beginning the first of April through the end of May. A leak in the roof has been repaired and much needed interior work is beginning. Please DO NOT use the dumpster in the clubhouse lot for waste disposal-it has been acquired for lake cleanup and clubhouse repair usage. The board is taking bids for Clubhouse Manager to take over responsibilities after the clubhouse work is completed. This will be a very important position in order to keep the clubhouse in optimum condition. Bids must be postmarked by April 15th. The clubhouse belongs to all of us and we are expected to take care of it as if it were our own home when renting, using the bathroom facilities during pool season or just walking through the lot. Please contact Mark Reichert at 734-8667 for more information regarding management responsibilities and bidding.

BLOCKWATCH...Volunteers are needed to reorganize our Block Watch program for this year. Crime in the Northland has increased over the last 12 months; therefore we must pull together as a community to protect our investments and our neighbors. Please contact Jocelyn Keith at 734-5760 for more information regarding Blockwatch help.

GARAGE SALE...Our annual Spring Garage sale is coming up! Start your spring cleaning now and put aside "stuff" that could bring you MONEY in the garage sale. Preview for the neighborhood is the evening of May 11th and open to the public on May 12th. Signs for registration will be posted soon. The cost of registration is $2.00 per home. If you have any questions, call Stephanie Hummel 734-8780.

POOL...Bids are being accepted for Pool Manager. The manager will be responsible for lifeguard and pool management and maintenance of the pool area and chemicals. Knowledge of pool chemicals and team management a plus. Bids must be postmarked by April 15th. Please contact Steve Flamez 734-7094 or Kevin Keith 734-5760 for more information and bidding. Certified lifeguards are also encouraged to call these numbers for hiring consideration for the 2001 pool season. Pool key pickup date will be Sunday, May 20th at the lower level door of the clubhouse. PLEASE make a note on your calendar to pick up your key on that date. A reminder that pool keys will be issued to ONLY persons listed on the title of your home-do not send children or neighbors to pick up. Also, keys will be issued to ONLY those members who have dues up to date.

GROUNDS...Bids are being accepted for maintenance of the grounds. Please contact Bob Kopp 734-8446 for more information and bidding. Bids must be postmarked by April 15th. KCMO Water Services Department will service clogged storm drains in the neighborhood. Call 816-513-8000 to register the address of the drain to be cleaned. With spring rains coming, clogged drains are a big problem. As homeowners, we should know that the drains are for runoff water-NOT leaves, walnuts, trash and newspapers.

RESTRICTIONS...Included in this newsletter is a "Violation of Restrictions" form. If you are reporting a violation, this form MUST be completed and the complainant MUST attend an association meeting to discuss the alleged violation in detail. For more information, contact Eugene Gruhler 734-9547.

VANDALISM...The Association Board would like to bring a matter of importance to your attention. During the calendar year 2000, the Association was victimized by vandal(s) on several occasions causing damage to the common property. We take seriously the charge you, as homeowners, have entrusted us in maximizing the effectiveness of every dollar of dues paid. Repairs have been made to drywall from holes punched into the clubhouse walls, replacement of two Clubhouse windows from the gunfire in November which miraculously did not injure any occupants, and repairs to various acts of damage to the pool and amenities. An estimate to repair this sort of damage just last year approximates over $600.00. We bring this to your attention so you can be aware these acts can occur in front of you or you may have knowledge of who committed them. When we stand together and make those accountable for the acts we only save money, make our neighborhood a safer place to live, and a more enjoyable one. A reminder that anyone with information in regard to the incident of shots fired into the clubhouse can still anonymously relay it to the TIPS Hotline at 474-TIPS. A reward of up to $1000.00 plus $500.00 from the Association is still being offered. Information in regards to other offenses including aforementioned vandalism can always be reported anonymously through the TIPS Hotline, or reported anonymously to the Board via mail or telephone.

NEW BOARD MEMBERS...Welcome and thanks for the commitment of time by our newest board members, Bill Abney, Eugene Gruhler, Mark Reichert. Bill Abney shares with you..."This was once an exclusive development with high property values. It has lost some of it's admirable reputation because those who began it have left or have done their part and left it to a new generation to take over. We are lucky that new members have joined with experienced Board members of the past to achieve a goal...to restore that reputation. By becoming as involved as you can, we can ensure that our community will become an even safer, enjoyable, financially stable place to live. If you have ideas, please share them with us at a meeting or write the Assoc. at the address below. The board is a combination of new and experienced members. We are set to make our development an enviable place to live."

LIST OF OFFICERS... [Webmaster's note: see the website's "Board of Directors" page for the current list.]

New Mark Brooking mailing address (for dues, bids, etc.):
New Mark Brooking First Pool Association
P.O. Box 10646
Kansas City, MO 64188-0646

Thanks to Mark Reichert, Dave Holly, Bob Kopp, Jim Upschulte, Dave Kachevas, Ed Robinson and Kevin Keith for working on the lake clean-up project.
[Webmaster's note: Photos of the lake cleanup can be seen on the "Our Neighborhood" page.]