Current Ranch News

Current Ranch News as of March 18, 2010

Ranch toll free # 1-877-408-4424

Nomination forms are now available for five (5) new members of the Board of Trustees. Click here for a form. The Board encourages you to use the Nominating Form when submitting the name of an eligible member for the position of Trustee. At the June 13th, 2010 Annual General Meeting, five (5) members will be elected as Trustees for a period of two (2) years. The form should be mailed or delivered to the Ranch office, c/o Nominating Committee, P.O. Boxd1883, Maple Falls, WA 98266-1883, to be received NO LATER THAN MARCH 15th, 2010. We hope you will give considerable thought to this matter because we very much need the members' participation in the Ranch to get a good cross-section of Trustees interested in both the administrative and social aspects of running our Ranch.

The Golf Course is open as long as the weather permits. However, no golf carts are allowed on the Course yet.

We have a new section on the website for the electrical upgrade information. You can get there from our home page or click here.

For the new Wooded 2 shut down shedule, click here.

For helpful electric usage information click on the links in the "Electrical Know-how" paragraph below.

Please consider utilizing the classified ads page of this web site to get rid of unwanted items or materials that someone else may be able to use. There is no charge for a text only ad, and this may be a very effective way of reducing the amount of refuse the Ranch has to pay to have disposed.

No cutting of firewood by Members is allowed. The Ranch is doing a lot of cutting and the wood is either piled for merchant sale or cut and delivered to campsites for firewood. The firewood list is back again but the charge for a load of firewood is now $30.

Planning on purchasing a new trailer this year? Or building a new structure on your campsite? Make sure you plan ahead and coordinate with the Ranch office well in advance to ensure you follow all procedures appropriately. The advantage of doing so for yourself is that it creates documentation that the trailer was placed correctly on your site and that services such as septic and electric are not compromised during the setting of the trailer on your site, or you build a compliant structure and will not be required to remove or dismantle it and start over.

Garbage/Recycling Area Instructions:
- Dumpsters are for kitchen and bathroom bagged garbage only -
- for more extensive debris you must pay a $25 disposal fee per load (nothing more than a pick up truck or small utility trailer) any yard waste, demolition materials, furniture or appliances require the fee payment.
- Each appliance incurs a $25 fee, especially refrigerators; even though they may be part of a "load".
- For your convenience, the fee can be charged to your dues account. Payment can only be made at the Ranch office during office hours.
- No fee for scrap metal deposits; these should be left at the front of the scrap metal dumpster for staff to place properly into the dumpster. Eligible scrap metals include; metal roofing and sheds (wood removed), propane tanks (empty only!), Aluminum piping or frames, old BBQ's with all wood parts removed, stoves/ovens. If you are not sure, ask at the office. Revenue from the scrap metal goes to support the Recycling Committee.
- Glass bottles and jars should be put into the glass recycling bin - no fee.
- Aluminum cans should be deposited into the aluminum recycling bin. Flattened cans are appreciated.
- Burn pile deposits are limited to natural debris only - branches and sticks, etc. No lumber.

Septic Need to Know: Last year we dealt with many septic back ups that unfortunately come to light when everyone is here using the septic system on a weekend. This may be a sign of what is to come in the future for the busy season again this year. Pardon the pun, but that is a pretty @XQ& way to spend your get away time. Septic systems are much different than sewer systems like what is commonly used in most cities and urban areas. We really need your help in reducing the amount of septic trouble calls we experience. While we know that there will still be failed systems due to tree root infiltration, etc. there are many things that the septic users can do to help cut down on the clogs and reduced functioning of the systems. At the Ranch there are several hundred septic systems. Each system consists of a septic tank that is designed with a center baffle to help the contents decompose at an accelerated rate and then drain out through a pipe system called a drain field to work it's way back into the soil in a non toxic form. Each tank serves from 2 - 9 campsites which are connected to the tank through another pipe system that the trailers dump waste through into the tank. Click here to learn more.

Electrical Know-how: Our Electric supply system (as many already know) is just as aged and failing as our old water supply system was. The Board and Renewal & Reserves Committee are working together on the upgrade of our electrical system. The hope is that the Membership can be given a proposal to vote on for paying for the cost of the upgrade at AGM in June 2009. Just like our water supply was leaking into the ground prior to the completion of the upgrade, electricity is being conducted into the ground by the moisture content in the soil now too. This is causing the Ranch to have to pay for many kilowatts of power that we do not even get the benefit of using. The electric system is currently designed to provide 30 amp service for your camping trailer. Most newer trailers and park models are designed to require 50 amp. Your campsite is on an electric circuit along with several other neighboring sites. If you or one of your neighbors is drawing more electricity through the circuit and another trailer on that circuit turns on lights and the microwave and moments later the hot water heater clicks on someone will either experience a tripped breaker and loose power to their trailer, flickering lights, power surges (that can cause damage to appliances) or a burnt breaker (also results in total loss of electricity requiring a maintenance call to remedy). The worse case scenario would be that someone's electric pedestal catches fire (this is a realistic possibility). Until the electric system upgrade has been completed it would be wise and polite for everyone to keep mindful of their personal electricity usage. For information on how to be power wise click here, here and here.

The next Board meeting date is March 13, 2010 in the Cookshack starting at 9:30 a.m. Feel Welcome to attend.

The Ranch (membership dues) has paid approximately $45,000+ this past year again (the annual expense for this keeps increasing) for the removal of the refuse deposited at the dumpster area. Making an effort to use the recycling opportunities offered at the Ranch and paying a small fee for the deposit of any furniture, appliances, or structure demolition materials will go a long way in helping the Membership dues that you pay go towards other more desirable things.

If you have signed up for automatic credit card payment of your dues, please email or phone the office to give us your updated expiration date for your card when it renews, or if you wish to use a different credit card we need the info on the new one. It is the Member's responsibility to ensure that this information is up to date. If dues payments become delinquent due to outdated information, the late fees will apply.
This is important, especially during winter weather or busy summer time. Moved or changed your phone service lately? Please check to be sure that the Ranch office has your up to date information, it is imperative in emergency or urgent situations that sometimes arrive that the Ranch is able to contact you. A secondary phone number may also be helpful. Let us know next time you call or stop by.

Please call the WA Dept. of Transportation at 1-800-695-7623 for travel information. State Route numbers you will need to know are Mt. Baker Hwy. - 542; Reese HIll Rd. - 547; Valley Hwy. - 9; Guide Meridian - 539. Other Road conditions in Whatcom County check here.

Ranch Weather link.

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***** Toll free phone # for the Ranch 1-877-408-4424 *****

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Black Mountain Ranch is a private campground in Deming, Washington, USA.