Do you live on a private road in the Rim? It is the responsibility of the residents who reside on the private road to maintain the roadway. There is no county maintenance support as the other roads receive. The RID and LID programs for these roads are no longer being funded, so the financial responsibility falls solely on the residents. If you live on a private road and are interested in joining in the conversation about how best to approach the maintenance and repair issues of shared private roadways, please email Office@WildernessRim.org. Neighbors can work together to keep our community beautifully maintained.
News
Firewise Education
Wildfire prevention is something Smokey the Bear has taught for decades. Did you see him at Cascade Park on Saturday, April 4? Neighbors young and old watched and participated in a variety of fun educational activities put on by the WRA Firewise Committee.
King County DNRP Project Program Manager, Linda Vane, spoke about vegetation and strategies for maintaining the areas around your home. She also brought materials (available in the WRA Office or online) for neighbors to see more examples of what the true dangers of living in a “Moderate Hazard” for wildfire neighborhood and what to do about it on your property.
Doug Greathouse, WRA Park Co-Chair, gave us all a demo of how quickly simple needles and leaves can burst into flames.
Matt Rourke, Chair of the FIrewise Committee and current WRA Trustee, is a forestry expert. He demonstrated techniques with tools and discussed how to keep your trees healthy as well as safety for your property.
Evergreen Tree Care, Inc. came out with a chipper truck and climbing crew. Watching the skill of removing some of the dangerous branches over the WRA Office was fascinating! Thank you to the teams for demonstrating ways we can keep our homes safe.
2015 Easter Egg Hunt and Peep Roast
Fun times were had by all who attended this year’s Easter Egg Hunt and Peep Roast!
THANK YOU to those who volunteered by stuffing eggs, making signs, inviting friends, stoking the fire, hiding the goodies, cleaning up, and the many other details to make this event happen! Living in a neighborhood with such fun, caring people is amazing.
Would you like to be part of more events like this? Email events@wildernessrim.org or office@wildernessrim.org with your ideas or skills that you would like to use to serve your community.
Tree Removal Standards for the Wilderness Rim Area
WRA Tree Removal Guidelines
WRA members are not required to obtain approval of the ARC before removing trees, however, the WRA ARC Guideline 8.12.1 states that “Trees removed for safety or other reasons shall be replaced to maintain the natural sylvan environment of Wilderness Rim.”
DPER Tree Removal Standards for the Wilderness Rim Area (Residents must confirm their permitting obligations with King County DPER and WRA does not assume any liability from actions taken by homeowners and does not guarantee the accuracy of information provided in this bulletin):
You do not need a permit to remove trees on your property in Wilderness Rim if:
- The total combined area of the tree canopy to be removed covers less than 7,000 square feet, or
- The tree(s) present immediate danger to property or life.
You must obtain a permit from DPER for removing trees on your property in Wilderness Rim if:
- The total combined area of the tree canopy to be removed covers more than 7,000 square feet.
- The tree(s) you wish to remove is within a critical area (wetland, steep slope, etc.) or their buffers.
Except in hazardous situations, WRA members are encouraged to find out if their work area is affected by critical areas or their buffers.
King County FEMA Grant Presentation and Q&A Wednesday April 15th @7 PM
King County recently received a FEMA grant to design, permit and construct a flood mitigation project for Wilderness Rim. The work will be done in phases, with some starting this summer (2015) and other parts continuing in future summers estimating to complete in 2017.
This Wednesday, April 15th at 7 PM in the Chalet, King County project engineers plan to give a brief overview of the proposal and timeline for work. The community is invited to hear the proposal and ask questions before the regularly scheduled board meeting at 7:30 PM.
Below is the proposal that was presented to the community in 2012. Please feel free to reach out to office@wildernessrim.org if you have any questions.
April– May 2015 Newsletter
View the Apr May 2015 Newsletter (PDF)
February – March 2015 Newsletter
View the Feb Mar 2015 Newsletter (PDF)
2014 Holiday Light Contest Winners
Over 200 homes had lights on them this year! Thank you to everyone who shared some cheer this season with their neighbors, and thank you to our sponsors:
Eleven adults and nine kids helped judge the winners based on curb appeal, use of color, content, and volume of lights. The competition was fierce, but here are the homes that won gift certificates to Boxleys or Ace (and the grand prize winner gets to ride in the fire truck next week!):
1st Place: 17007 426th Ave SE
2nd Place: 17403 SE Cedar Falls Rd
3rd Place: 17436 426th Ave SE
4th Place: 17404 426th Ave SE
Also honorable mentions:
If you haven’t already, take a drive around the Rim to see the excellent displays before Christmas!
Holiday Light Contest
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas with all the lights going up around the Rim. If you would like to be a part of the fun, here are the details:
If you have lights up, you are automatically entered!
Judges will meet Thursday, December 18th at the Chalet @ 6:30 PM. They will drive around the neighborhood with maps and clipboards to record their votes, and then will meet up back at the Chalet for hot cocoa and vote counting.
PRIZES:
First Place: $50 gift certificate to Boxley’s Restaurant in North Bend AND a ride in our very own Station 88 Fire Engine!
Second and Third Places: $25 gift certificates to Boxley’s Restaurant
Also donated by Ace Hardware: $25 gift certificate
A HUGE THANK YOU to Boxley’s and ACE for sponsoring the event and to our volunteer fire fighters who serve our community. Merry Christmas!
Identity Theft Protection Tips
One of the most popular ways for thieves to steal your identity is through your mailbox. Here are some tips to help prevent mail theft:
1. During the holidays, don’t leave outgoing mail in an unlocked mailbox.
2. Take your outgoing mail to a blue collection box (there is one at the fire station in the Rim) or the post office, and don’t leave your mail in a collection box that is full.
3. Pick up your mail right away after it is delivered.
4. Get a locked mailbox and make sure that the mail slot is big enough for the letter carrier to insert your mail.
5. Have regular income checks deposited electronically into your bank account via direct deposit.
6. If you are expecting credit cards, checks or other valuable mail and don’t receive them, promptly contact the senders.
7. If you see suspicious activity on your street promptly call 911 and report it to police and safety@wildernessrim.org.
8. You may want to “opt out” of receiving pre-approved credit and insurance offers from the credit bureau mailing lists by calling 1-888-5OPTOUT (1-888-567-8688) or by visiting online at www.optoutprescreen.com.