Here are my random notes about concerns from residents that I put out about every 3-4 months that no one pays attention to:
1 - BARKING DOGS - If you have dogs who constantly bark, please don't leave them out all day or night.  It is very annoying and disruptive to your neighbors. Besides all the people who try and sleep at night, there are some people who work nights or who have many health issues and sleep during the day. 
2 - LOOSE DOGS - Remember, your dogs must be on a leash when walking (a few incidents have happened in the past where an "under control" off-leash dog has attacked another dog or person),  and when in your yard, your dog needs to be confined by a fence.  It's the regulation and law.  If you have a problem with your neighbors dog, please have a conversation with them. If that doesn't work, call Animal Control 505.314.0280   Go to READ MORE to see photos of some recent loose and wandering dogs.
3 - DOG POOP - Always pick up your dogs' poop.  It is not a pleasant thing to look at, smell, or step in. And please don't write back and tell me that there's a lot of wildlife poop around.  Wild animals don't know how to bag their poop. :-)
4 - SPEEDERS AND WALKERS - Once again, there have been several near misses between speeding cars and pedestrians on the roads (especially on the straightaway Paa-Ko Drive). Walkers/runners, please try to stay as close to the edge of the road as possible AND when you hear a car coming, move over. Groups of walkers need to be particularly aware, especially on all the side streets that do not have shoulders.  Cars - PLEASE slow down.  There are speed limits in Paa-Ko.  Know that there will be pedestrians and bike riders on the streets. There are many, many blind curves. Don't kill someone then wish you had been driving slower.
5 - KEYS - If you see keys left in a mailbox, please take them to the Paa-Ko Office.  Don't leave them in the box for some non Paa-Ko person to take (can lead to mail theft).  By the way, the office has a huge collection of keys and other lost items.  Please find time to go and collect your items you have lost.
Always remember to be a responsible pet owner as well as a courteous, respectful, and considerate neighbor.  No one is above the rules.

If you need something in the newsletter for next Sunday, October 22, please get it to me by this Wednesday the 18th.  I will be unavailable Thursday thru the evening of Monday the 23rd.

Thanks.

There was a mountain lion spotted by two residents crossing Raindance this morning.  They were unable to take a photo, but it was large and did cross fairly close to them and their dogs.  Please stay alert and vigilant when outside -always.  We live in the mountains surrounded by wildlife and all can peacefully co-exist.  Its always a good thing to know what to do when encountering any kind go wildlife.

Here is a link with info on what to do if you see a mountain lion
 https://apnm.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/CougarSmartFlyer.pdf

To view a big bear that was recently seen on Canyon Ridge, please go to READ MORE and then to DOCUMENTS

FROM FIREWISE COMMITTEE:

With the amount of rainfall Paa-Ko has received this spring, imminent wildfire danger is fortunately not a daily focus as it was a year ago.  But, we must continue to knock down the omnipresent weeds which have grown to new heights due to the abundant spring rains, and remove dead trees and branches within 30 feet of our home, as they are not only unsightly, but do present a fire hazard.  These safety steps necessitate lots of hard work or big bills if outside contractors are hired. To maintain our status as a Firewise Community, please submit your valuable hours of labor and/or contractor bills to freddarosenberg@yahoo.com  so they can be added to the spreadsheet that gets submitted at the end of the summer.

To keep on top of protecting lives and property, an excellent resource is the East Mountain Wildfire Preparedness Association. You can receive regular weather alerts and notices of upcoming programs.  If you are a new resident to the community, it would be prudent to attend one of their sessions, which is announced online by this experienced organization.  If you want to request to be added to this mailing list, email bhelmich@flash.net