* Just a reminder…  Weeds and grasses on your property must be cut to 4 inches and below (and stay that way) by May 15th.  Our last fire season was rather extended and we’re already back into it!  Please do your part as part of our Firewise Community!  And, as most of you expect, the OSMA crews will be out in the open space soon cutting the grasses, clipping nearly 100 acres when all is said and done.  The early morning hum of the weed whackers… fire safety is in the air! * Interested in helping to gather up the 700+ flags we placed for Sudden Oak Death spraying?  If you’re available on Wednesday, April 23rd (next week) from 8:00-noon, send an email to glynn@sonic.net. * Saturday, May 3rd is National Wildfire Community Preparedness Day.  As part of our ongoing community education preparedness to satisfy and renew our Firewise status, we are inviting you to help “doom the broom” and find out more about living in a very high fire hazard severity zone.  We’ll meet in two different places to suit everyone’s neighborhood needs.  In order to pull broom, remember to wear long pants, long socks, long sleeves and gloves!  The grasses have been growing and the poison oak, too!  If you have pliers with a wide grip, it might help for the very small plants.  So satisfying to rip that invasive sucker out by its roots! Here are the details: Saturday, May 3rd at 8:00-Noon – People may come and go as they wish.  Meet at either of these places: Rincon Ridge ParkPark Gardens DriveWe’ll focus on regrowth of broom along the parkway and maybe some of us will head down to Daybreak and pull the broom along the parkway below there. Parker Hill ParkPark on upper Crown Hill Drive – there’s parking on only one side of the streetMost of the remaining broom is along the Parker Hill Road side of the park (there’s no parking on Parker Hill near that area) If you plan on coming out, send an email to glynn@sonic.net so we can have enough written materials on hand! * We’re scheduling another of our open space hikes!  They were quite popular last year and many people were interested in doing them again this year.  Your wish is our command…Sunday, May 4th from 8:00-10:00 – yes, the day after the National Wildfire Community Preparedness Day – we’ll meet at the top of Manor Park Place (off Parker Hill Road) and explore the newly fuel-reduced area we call Firebreak 12.  It’s really a gorgeous area with hundreds of majestic oaks that we are trying to save from Sudden Oak Death.  Plus, there’s a beautiful spring/well to see.  Wear the same wardrobe you would wear to pull broom, minus the gloves!  I’d call this a fairly easy hike.