July 5, 2026

President’s Message

Summer Update

 

Hello Neighbors!

 

I hope everyone had a great Independence Day weekend and enjoyed the 250th anniversary of this amazing country! It seems the spring rains have subsided and

summer is actually here! Here are a few updates and goings on:

 

• Roadwork - Annual roadwork will begin tomorrow (Monday, July 6th), with grading/repairs of the HOA roads by Montana Materials & Construction. This work should take about a week and will include widening the first mile of Favorite Gulch Rd. (back to its original width before the ditches were filled in....about 2 feet wider) and the rebuilding of the ditch along both sides. This should keep the water off the road and improve it greatly. This is part of the 5-year plan to do this to all the roads in the HOA.

• Picnic - The HOA picnic that was scheduled for this weekend July 11th will be postponed until 11 am on Saturday August 22nd. The Lake Recreation Area needs some attention prior to the picnic..... I will address those issues below.

  • There is an invasive species of underwater weed that has completely taken over our boat dock area....worse than I have seen in previous years. Board Director, Brad Smith, has been speaking with FWP in search of a solution. The volume of weeds I suspect is also creating a low oxygen or high nitrogen condition leading to dead fish in our lagoon. As you can imagine (if you have not seen it), it’s pretty gross. Definitely not the spot I’d like to socialize and have a hot dog until it's resolved.

  • In addition, we plan to gravel the LRA parking areas this week in conjunction with the roadwork, and mow/kill the weeds around the pavilion.

• Mining Update - We have been contacted by DEQ and it was brought to the Boards attention, that the HOA does not have an Open Mining Permit to work the Sapphire Mine Area. Board Director and Mining Committee Chairman, Don Johnson, is going to speak with them this week to see what is required to be in compliance. I am unaware of the HOA ever having such a permit historically. Increased activity at the mine area is no doubt what has drawn their attention. I will update everyone once we know more.

• FedEx Box - FedEx is going to replace the parcel box in the mailbox area with a new steel one, along with a new built in lock. We asked, and they agreed, to paint it a neutral color of brown or green as to not be intrusive. When the weather isn’t cooperative, this box makes it possible for them to leave otherwise undeliverable packages there instead of returning them to town for pickup. When you receive your tracking information, there should be a picture of the inside of the box, which will contain the code for unlocking. If you do not receive this picture/code, please contact Michelle Smith at treasurer.edhhoa@gmail.com and she will get it to you.

  The change of the box and lock was prompted by the fact that someone cut the lock off last week….

• Mailbox Cluster - We have ordered the new cluster mailbox discussed at the Member meeting, which will be installed in the remaining spot at the mailbox area. This will give us 16 more mailboxes and 2 more parcel boxes to accommodate our growing community.

• York 38 Special - The annual York 38 Special mountain bike race in our area is being held on Saturday, August 15th. This is the primary fundraiser for York Volunteer Fire Department. The funds raised through this event are what helps to keep our taxes low and allows our Fire Department to better fund equipment and training. We are always looking for volunteers to help support this amazing event. It requires a lot of people and equipment to cover the large geographic area used by the participants. We provide rider support via aid stations along the course, medical support all along the route, as well as traffic control, timing, course setup and breakdown. In addition to serving our community during wildfires, structure fires, medical emergencies, vehicle crashes, etc., at all hours of the day and night, our volunteers work hard to put on this event. There are also opportunities to sponsor a mile marker or aid station. If you would like to volunteer your time or make a donation, please reach out to our Fire Chief Nick Lende (yvfdchief@gmail.com) or to 38 Special Committee Member Michelle Smith (michellelynkreth@gmail.com).

 

Any questions, please send me an email.

 

Thank you as always,

Jason Kreth

President