May 16, 2008 by admin.

Director Bob Frank submitted the following email to fellow board members and received a response from Roz Berman.

“Roz,

This is a follow-up to our conversation yesterday.

I am volunteering to serve as the board member representative to either the ARC or Covenants Committees for this year. I also volunteered for these committees last year, but was told that the prior board members had priority choices, and those committees had been selected by Lanie and Kay. So, in accordance with past practice, I am expecting to be confirmed for one or both of these committees this year.

Your suggestion about forming a new ad hoc group is a good one for someone like one of the recent board candidates. Perhaps Rana or Nelson might agree to head it up? I encourage you to follow that path to see if something can get started this year. “

Response by Roz Berman:

“All,

FYI - I have considered and had discussions with each of you regarding any requests for Standing Committee assignments. The Standing Committee assignments, which have already been communicated to the respective Chairpersons of each Committee, are as follows:

ARC - Barry
Covenants - Barry
Editorial Content - Mike
Election - Carl
Finance - Shirley
Investments - Shirley
Lifestyle - Carl
Plans & Process - Roz
Properties & Grounds - Roger

Mike will team with Roger Cooper as liaisons to Pulte for the completion of Recreation Center 3.
Mike will continue to be a liaison to Jones Vargas regarding the S&D lawsuit.
Mike will continue to be a liaison with the Trumpets Negotiating group.
Roz and Mike will be exofficio members of the 2008 Reserves Update task group.”

Admin Note:  Additional comments Found on Ron Johnson’s OP-ED Site are in this file:   Additional Comments

Posted in SCA Board, Other | Print | 1 Comment »

May 16, 2008 by bobfrank.

Our community needs to encourage all SCA homeowners to read Mark Cook’s recent posting about flagrant and deliberate low-level airspace violations by “King Airelines” over SCA airspace. We must seriously consider the implications of this and a variety of other rapidly expanding aviation overflight problems in this area.

For example, other residents have previously reported on airline and helicopter violations of SCA airspace. Serious concern has also been expressed over the Sloan Heliport being built for about 300 helicopters–due west of SCA. The move to relocate and greatly expand Grand Canyon tours (involving both light aircraft and helicopters) from the McCarren Airport to the Henderson/Sloan area is already causing a rapid increase of flights across SCA airspace.

And, it has only just begun! Overflights (at any altitude) are guaranteed to destroy our “quiet enjoyment”. We are truly “old fools” if we wait any longer to demand that flight paths be routed way South over low populated areas instead of due East directly over SCA. While current promises are that future helicopter flight paths will go around the Anthem area, we can never be confident that ALL helicopter flights will go that way unless we closely monitor and stay involved in the activities. See this R-J article for the latest heliport info: Sloan Heliport

Concerning personal experience, I lived next to a large heliport in Vietnam in 1969; and, to this day the obnoxious operating sounds of helicopters coming and going overhead reminds me of hell on earth. The constant sleep disturbances and inability to get any quiet time from heavy helicopter operations will ruin our retirement lives. Even if you are hard of hearing, such noise and constantly interrupted environment produces high stress, constant irritability, and sustained anxiousnesses. Why would any senior community tolerate such added nonsense? This is a MAJOR change in our environment and we simply do not have to put with it.

While such a stressful environment is bad for any phase of life, it could be deadly for elders! Furthermore, we should not buy the argument that “modern helicopters” do not make as much noise as the old ones! So what! As we get older, the sounds of any kind of overhead helicopters during any hour will destroy our retirement environment. We simply MUST demand that ALL flying to and from the Grand Canyon and other areas to be routed to the South and far, far away from our senior communities. We already know that is not the case since we have serious violations by fixed wing and helicopters on a daily basis. Either way, we have to do something tangible to stop it.

But, let us not kid ourselves. It could be difficult to make all flights avoid overflying SCA since it will cost the companies a lot of money for the extra flying time. What will it take to wake up our fellow senior citizens to get engaged and to STAY engaged? The prevailing attitude in most senior communities is just “let board member Bob, or Mike, or Carl do it.” “I am retired, and I must reserve my time to enjoy my retirement”. But, that is fatally flawed. Since your fellow seniors are also unpaid and retired, who will do the work, if it is not worth your time? The good news is that SCA history shows that if thousands of our homeowners pull together, we can prevail!

So, if you share a deep concern for what massive overflights of aircraft and helicopters will do to this unique community’s future, please volunteer to help. The airport and FAA will ignore us if only a few residents complain. We need some long-run project leadership. And, in the short-run, Mark needs some SCA homeowners to volunteer to help identify airspace violations. The procedures for clearly identifying overflight violations, and for being able to accurately estimate the aircraft’s altitude can be explained by Mark. You might even find it fun to do! ;-)

Finally, flagrant airspace abuse over SCA is certain to increase and to seriously damage our lifestyles as well as our property values! Ignoring these obvious problems today will lead to very serious lifestyle degradation within a few years. Will you help?

Bob Frank
SCA Director, bobfrank@cox.net

Posted in SCA Board, Community Affairs, Safety, Lifestyle | Print | 12 Comments »

May 16, 2008 by bobfrank.

Many residents have been complaining about blowing dust at the dormant Rec. Center construction site. At the Town Hall meeting on May 15 I understood Henderson Councilman Steven Kirk to say that current code required contractors to control dust DAILY with water or fabric coverings–when they are involved in the construction process. But, when the site is not being developed, the contractor is required to perform dust control WEEKLY or MORE OFTEN–depending on wind and other climate factors.

Regardless of the fine details, I understood that contractors like Pulte are not permitted by City, County and other regulations to allow blowing dust. It is considered a serious health, safety and public nuisance matter. Since Shadow Canyon, Desert Sky, Black Mountain Village residents have the best observation points on this matter, as well as the highest likelihood of personal impacts, they have the first-line responsibilities to monitor the daily situation and to report when blowing dust is a problem at construction sites in their areas.

Of course, there are also current construction sites over in the Model and High Mesa Villages that need to be observed. Residents in the adjoining villages in the area of the old Sales Office and parking lot are also asked to monitor and report on dust control problems in their areas.

Councilman Kirk left his number: 702-267-2402 and his email: steve.kirk@cityofhenderson.com for further information. Residents downwind of the 3rd Rec. Center site (any direction) could call his office and get the proper City number or email to routinely contact when the site dust is not being effectively controlled.

Councilman Kirk also said to me that he would appreciate hearing if the proper City and contractor authorities fail to get this job done. So, it may be possible that SCA homeowners could find working with the City will provide the first (and perhaps best) channel for getting this kind of action accomplished on a routine basis.

However, if it turns out that the City, Pulte, and/or EPA fail to get this job done, please let me know, and I will make it a Board action item to consider other options.

Bob Frank
bobfrank@cox.net
SCA Director

Posted in SCA Board, Community Affairs | Print | No Comments »

May 16, 2008 by Mark Cook.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am concerned about the safety issue with so many low flying aircraft passing over our community on a daily basis. The noise is also a significant factor, and when the Sloan Heliport is constructed, the noise problem will be compounded by an order of magnitude.

I am attempting to alert the entire community to this problem and solicit your help if you agree that it is a problem. By way of background, I am a retired pilot. I hold the FAA’s highest pilot rating, an Airline Transport Pilot Multi-engine rating, and a commercial glider pilot rating. I’ve been involved in aviation since 1948. My experience includes 3 years of flying Cessna 402 aircraft (among others) in commercial operations out of McCarran, carrying tourists to the Grand Canyon, and 27 years in the US Air Force as an instructor pilot. I spend 12 years at Nellis AFB, during three different tours (they kept sending me back) as an instructor and test project manager in the Fighter Weapons School (USAF top gun). I have spent countless hours on the local air-to-ground gunnery ranges as an instructor pilot and range control officer, where altitude judgment was paramount for safety.

That is all relevant because I believe that I am a fairly good judge of aircraft altitude, and I am well versed in federal aviation regulations, FAA operations, and commercial flight operations. That is necessary to support the following article which I have written for the community:

If you are concerned about the safety hazard and the noise of low flying aircraft, this may be of concern to you. Many will not be able to read this, but perhaps the word will slowly spread anyway. Propeller driven single and twin-engine aircraft operating out of Henderson Executive airport are violating prescribed minimum FAA altitudes for flight over a densely populated area (ours) on a daily basis. The primary culprits are the pilots of the Cessna 402 twin-engine aircraft owned by King Aire Lines.

There is only one company operating that type of aircraft out of the Henderson airport…King Aire Lines, so that makes it pretty easy to identify the source. If you live in Shadow Canyon, Black Mountain village, and Desert Sky village, and others you have seen and heard them regularly. They approach from the mountain pass just East of our community, so low that when you first see or hear them they will appear below the mountain ridge. They are required to fly no less than 500 feet over our houses, by Federal Aviation Regulations–not that 500 feet is much of a safety factor. But a few of their ‘hot pilots’ seem to have no regard for our safety or peace and quiet, and I’ve frequently observed them at 200 feet, sometimes less. It’s not likely that you can get outside quickly enough to see them, for at that altitude, and at a speed of around 120 knots, they are gone in 20 seconds.

The King Aire Cessna 402s are all white in color with narrow stripes down the side of the fuselage. The aircraft is easily recognized by the characteristic fuel tanks on the wing tips. The fuel tanks give the wing tips an upswept and streamlined look.

The reason I’m presenting this is because if we can stop this safety hazard, and the noise, we will be one jump ahead of the game in stopping the helicopter noise problem which is sure to come when the Sloan heliport is developed. You ‘”ain’t heard nothing yet” if you haven’t had a hundred helicopters passing over your house at 300 feet on a daily basis! 300 feet is the minimum altitude allowed by the FAA for those helicopters carrying passengers to the canyon so there’s nothing you can do to stop the noise. It’s illegal to shoot them down, tempting perhaps, but still illegal. ;-)

If we start now, and all complain about the low flying King Aire Line airplanes, no one can say later that no one in our community has complained for years about low flying aircraft. Whenever you observe a low flying aircraft, or wish to complain about aircraft noise, you may call Mr. Anthony Roldan, at the FAA office in Las Vegas; his number is 269-1445 ext 323. Also call the local Aircraft Noise Hotline, at 261-3694.

There’s no use calling King Aire Lines to complain, I was told to do that by Mr. Roldan, but the chief pilot refused to speak with me or return my phone calls…such arrogance. You could also notify the airport manager at Henderson Executive airport, Mr. Tom Donaldson, at 261-4802. Don’t leave this up to someone else–get involved in supporting your community. Thanks.

Mark Cook
2211 Bensley St
afkernel@cox.net

Posted in Community Affairs, Safety, News! | Print | No Comments »