Sampson Community Club
On this page is our quarterly newsletter, the "Squeaky Squirrel." For your convenience as well as information, it has been reprinted, in part, here.
DECEMBER
2011
THE SQUEAKY SQUIRREL
THE SAMPSON COMMUNITY CLUB'S NEWSLETTER
ABOUT AND FOR OUR MOUNTAIN COMMUNITY, PRODUCED BY KIM VANTREASE
SAMPSON COMMUNITY CLUB 2012 CALENDAR
www.sampsonclub.org 16150 Sampson Road, Littleton, CO 80127
Hogwarts
Winter Session February
25th 2:00
- 8:00 pm
Tuition:
$20.00/student
"Students," ages 7and above, will be sorted into their houses and
take classes, "Talismans,"
taught by Professor Wanderoso, for one. Students
will also attend Hogsmeade and participate
in the Snow Wizard competition.. Their day will end with a final banquet
dinner at 7:00 pm in the great dining hall when the Snow Wizard trophy
and the House Cup will be awarded!
*
* * Students need to bring boots, fingered gloves, and a warm coat for
the outdoor Snow Wizard activity! Wizardry attire preferred, but
not required. * * *
For additional information, please call
Virginia (303) 697-7272.
Mountain
Mama Brunch May 6th
Coordinator:
any one of the Board members.
Father's
Night Out June
9th
Coordinator:
Jan Clawson
Hogwarts
Summer Session June
23rd 2:00
- 8:00 pm
Tuition:
$20.00/student
"Students," ages 7and above, will be sorted into their houses and
take classes,
"Herbology," taught
by Professor Wysard, for one. Students
will also attend
Hogsmeade and participate in the Watermelon Seed Spitting contest and
the Quidditch games.
Their day will end with a final banquet dinner at 7:00 pm in the
great dining hall when the Watermelon
Seed Spitting contest trophies, the Quidditch
Championship Cup, and the House Cup will be awarded!
*
* * Students need to wear sneakers! Wizardry attire preferred, but not
required. * * * For
additional information, please call Virginia (303) 697-7272.
Ice
Cream Social July 15th 2:00 pm
"Ice cream, ice cream,
we all scream for ice cream!" The Club will provide ice cream and
accompaniments. We need some ice cream making volunteers! If
you can help, please call our coordinator, Janie Lambert, at (303) 697-
8933.
$3.00 per person.
Pig
Roast at the Lamb School August 11th noon
Fun, good food, and great companionship
centered on a delicious, slow-roasted pig. For the annual Pig Roast, please
bring a dish to share and your appetite!
Coordinator: Bryn Shepeck (303) 697-4414.
$7.00 per adult, $3.00 per child.
Canyon
Clean Up September 8th
9:00
am
This is the "tidy up the road"
event when you fill one of those elegant orange bags with trash from the
road. Please bring a pair of gloves, a hat, and sunscreen.
Coordinator: Virginia Temmer (303) 697-7272.
Hogwarts
Fall Session October 20th
2:00 - 8:00 pm
Tuition:
$20.00/student
"Students,"
ages 7 and above, will be sorted into their houses, take classes, and
join together at Hogsmeade for Pumpkin Bowling,
Gourd Toss, and a new event, the Pumpkin Relay. The outdoor events
will be followed by the banquet dinner at 7:00 pm in the great dining
hall when the Pumpkin Bowling,
Gourd Toss, and Pumpkin Relay trophies
and the House Cup will be awarded!
*
* * Wizardry attire preferred, but not required. * * *
Except for the classes, activities
will be held outside. Please wear a warm coat and if you need gloves,
bring them, too! For additional information, please call Virginia
(303) 697-7272.
Halloween
Party October
27th
Coordinators: Bob Ahrendts (303) 697-8021
& Janie
Lambert (303) 697- 8933.
Annual
Meeting/Thanksgiving Dinner November
17th 5:00 pm
Please bring a dish to share and join us
for Thanksgiving dinner. After dinner, the annual membership meeting begins.
At it, you may renew your membership or become a member, share your feedback
or suggestions, and cast your vote for President and Secretary.
Coordinator: Bob Ahrendts (303) 697-8021.
OUR LOSS, contributed by Jan Clawson
Two pioneer neighbors in the South Deer Creek community
have passed on this year. Glick Bishop died on March 21, 2011, and Dave
George, known by many as "Grandpa Dave", died on November 19,
2011.
Glick, a retired Martin Company engineer, has been an
important part of the Sampson Community Club as a member. He was always
involved with the "Pig Roast" and helped in Lamb School on Kuehster
Road. He moved "up here" from Littleton in 1950 into a home
on Sampson Road and then he and his wife, Gay, moved to their home on
Saddle Mountain Road where he resided until his death.
Bryn, Glick's daughter and her husband started The Sampson
Club Pig Roast in the early 80's…thirty years ago! Who would have
thought?! (A little bit of history).
Dave and his wife, Willie, were also active members
of the Sampson Club. They moved "up here" in 1973, raising 3
boys. He served with the Burma Bridge Busters during WWII.
Often, Dave brought baked goods such as biscuits to
club functions. In the summertime, he invited all for a picnic at his
home. His yard was a park! He was known for making strawberry ice cream
and proud of his chokecherry wine.
Oftentimes, he was seen in the summer driving around
in his green Model A Ford Pickup with kids riding in the cab and the bed
of the truck. They begged for rides and he willingly complied. He loved
that Model A.
Glick and Dave were good neighbors always helping neighbors
if needed.
Did You Know?
There are emergency phones located at each of our firehouses;
Station #2 is located at Deer Creek Road and Sampson Road and Station
#1 is located at S. Turkey Creek and Deer Creek Canyon Road. Keep that
in mind if ever any emergency services are required.
The Maxwell Hill Road population is currently applying
for a Grant for fire mitigation efforts in the area. As they are still
in the initial stages of the application, they will share the information
with us when it becomes available.
Electronic Subscription
If you would you like to receive the Squeaky Squirrel
electronically, please contact Mitch Tanenbaum at mitch@mtanenbaum.us.
Hogwarts
2011 Sessions, contributed by Miss Dee
The Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry 2011
sessions were a tremendous success. The students, Professors, and
staff all had a ton of fun! Three of the four sessions included
a new outside activity, which our students truly enjoyed.
In February, our "Snow Wizard" competition
had the students from each House build something from snow, a wizard,
animal or whatever they chose, in 30 minutes. The Hufflepuff House
won the competition. They created their House mascot, a Badger,
from snow, food coloring, pipe cleaners, pom-poms, and pieces of colored
tablecloths.
The April and August sessions included the beloved Quidditch
games plus Broomstick Racing at the August session.
And in October, the month of magical pumpkins, our fall
session included the History of Halloween class, shared ghost stories,
and three new events. These events included a Watermelon Seed Spitting
contest, which produced two winners, one from the 9 and under age category
and one from the 10 and above age group. The Gourd Toss
was a huge success and as the students discovered, it's not so easy to
toss an odd-shaped gourd through a hoop into a bucket. And the third
event, Pumpkin Bowling, was the most challenging. Have you ever
tried rolling a pumpkin hard enough to knock down pins without smashing
the pumpkin while staying in your lane?
Our 2012 season promises to be just as much, if not
more fun than the 2011 season. Some of our classes will include
making Talismans and a Wizard's Herb Garden. And, of course, we'll
have our outside activities: the Snow Wizard competition, Watermelon Seed
Spitting contest, the Quidditch games, the Gourd Toss, and Pumpkin Bowling.
Plus, another event has been added to our fall session, the Pumpkin
Relay!
If you would like more information about our Hogwarts
Sessions, please see the 2012 Calendar included in this newsletter. The
printable Registration Form is on the "Home" page of the club's
website and the photos of our Hogwarts sessions can be found on the "Photo
Album Archives" page on the website. www.sampsonclub.org. We started
our Hogwarts sessions in 2007.
"Hagrid's Garden" at Sampson Community Club, contributed
by Miss Dee and Virginia Temmer
In 2010, "Hagrid's Garden" was pretty unsuccessful;
very hard clay that was extremely hard to till. It yielded only
a few plants. They did not fare well and produced nothing to harvest
at the end of the season. In 2011, Mike Lee talked to Barry Todd,
a giant pumpkin grower, about how to make "Hagrid's Garden"
more growing friendly. Barry recommended the soil, and estimated
the amount needed, and knew the best source for the soil for the 1,750
square feet. Thank You, Barry! Upon delivery of the soil, Virginia
Temmer, Robert Manzanares, Mike, and Miss Dee spread the soil over the
garden area. Next, Virginia purchased sturdy fencing and fence posts.
After the fence was in place and the soap socks were hung, it was
ready for gardening! Mike rented the top half of "Hagrid's
Garden," where he grew the 89-pound squash called "Buddy."
The other half of the garden was prolific when it came to squash,
tomatoes, peppers, carrots, beets, onions, cucumbers, and lettuce.
This abundance is all due to wise watering, good food, plenty of sunshine,
and extremely good soil.
Hagrid's Garden has four sections that are about 20
feet by 20 feet. Three of the four sections have been claimed for
2012 by the gardeners from last year, who paid $40 per section for the
use and water for their part of the garden. One section is still
available for the 2012 season! Keep in mind, the garden needs to
be tilled before planting in 2012, and the cost will be borne by the gardeners.
If you are interested in the available section, please contact Virginia
Temmer at 303-697-7272.
"Buddy," the 89-Pound Squash, contributed by Miss Dee
You may or may not have heard about "Buddy,"
the 89-pound, emerald green, winter squash. He grew himself in "Hagrid's
Garden" but was nurtured and tended to by our own Webmaster, Mike
Lee, aka Professor Wanderoso of Hogwarts School.
The squash seed that produced "Buddy" came
from a 634-pound squash! In his short 44-day life span, he was nourished
by the very rich soil in "Hagrid's Garden," the Sampson Community
Club's community garden. Hagrid's Garden," was so named by the club's
former secretary and newsletter writer, Miss Dee, (Dee Lee) aka, Professor
Wysard of Hogwarts School. "Because of its close proximity
to the schoolhouse," said Dee, "we could use it to teach the
Hogwarts students about gardening!"
Throughout the growing season, "Buddy," basked
in the sunshine, drank plenty of water, and took in a variety of food.
He grew approximately 11/2" per day in circumference and about
1" per day in length. And by the end of September, just in
time for the Rocky Mountain Giant Vegetable Growers' (RMGVG) Annual Weigh
Off, "Buddy" was a gorgeous emerald green color, was healthy,
had a thick skin, and was happily living off of his 14' main vine. (Above
photo)
Some of the Hogwarts Summer Session students said "Buddy,"
"looked like a watermelon." And one student at the Hogwarts
Fall Session, when it had been announced that Professor Wanderoso and
"Buddy" had won second place at the RMGVG Annual Weigh Off said,
"WOW! That's more than I weigh!"
Isn't it amazing what the right genetics and some TLC can do? If you're
interested in growing giant vegetables, including those humongous pumpkins,
please call Mike at (303) 697-2558. He's a member of the Rocky Mountain
Giant Vegetable Growers club.
From the Board
Members, thank you for renewing your Sampson Community
Club membership! If you still need to pay your $20.00 yearly dues, please
mail them to the Sampson Community Club mailbox, 16150 Sampson Rd, Littleton,
CO, 80127. If you would like to join the Sampson Community Club, please
mail your $20.00 membership dues along with your name and telephone number
to the Club's mailbox listed above. If you have any questions, please
call one of the Board Members listed below.
The Sampson Community Club greatly appreciates the donations of money, supplies and volunteer time. Remember, the Club is tax exempt as a 501(c)(5) organization. 501(c)(3) organizations are the only ones that your donations are tax deductible on your personal income tax. According to the IRS, all donations to the Club are not tax deductible by the donor.
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
PRESIDENT, Bob Ahrendts 15210 Elk Mountain Trail 303-697-8021 robertcahrendts@yahoo.com.
VICE PRESIDENT, Jan Clawson 303-697-4493 12213 S. Maxwell Hill
Rd.
As your Vice President of the Sampson Community Club,
a little bio of me, Jan Clawson.
I was born and grew up in Nebraska, attending the University of Nebraska,
and continue to be a loyal Cornhusker. Coffee Pot Hill or Maxwell Hill
Road, for those of you who haven't read the book, has been my home for
over 40 years. Floods, blizzards, and many changes have occurred in that
time. When people ask me about my family, I tell them I have one of everything:
one son, one daughter, one grandson, one granddaughter, and one cat.
My church takes much of my time. I volunteer in the
senior care centers in the Littleton area. I read a lot, mostly nonfiction.
I don't have a computer and I don't want one because I'm too busy.
I believe in the Sampson Community Club. At times, whether
we are aware of it or not, the Sampson Community Club is the voice for
the rest of us on issues that involve all of us. It's important to become
involved and stay involved by attending social events such as the Pig
Roast, the Ice Cream Social, the Thanksgiving dinner, and so forth. Your
presence is needed to build a strong community.
TREASURER, Bob Vick 303-697-0954 12123 S. Maxwell Hill Road bvickr@msn.com
Bob, along with his wife Pat, moved to the Denver area
in 1977 upon Bob's retirement from the US Air Force. They bought property
on Maxwell Hill Road in '84, built between '85 and '88, and moved in '88.
Both have been very active with the Denver Museum of Miniatures Dolls
and Toys on the Board in several positions. Bob was Treasurer four times.
Also active in the Colorado Cactus and Succulent Society, Bob was Treasurer
and President each, twice, over 18 years. Finally getting rid of the third
treasurer job, Bob has had concurrently with two others.
Bob retired from the Environmental Protection Agency
in 2003. He taught Solar Energy Technology at Red Rocks Community College
'80 to '86. He is still involved with renewable energy programs and does
some
consulting work on passive solar design and active solar systems. And
he is the volunteer coordinator for the
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program in Littleton at Bemis Library
from January to April.
Bob and Pat enjoy traveling and go on trips to Miniature
Shows (Pat makes and sells accessories for Doll Houses), family visits
and on ocean cruises. They have been members of the Sampson Community
Club for over 23 years.
SECRETARY, Janie Lambert 303-697- 8933 11972 S. Maxwell Hill Road
jane.lambert@live.com
Janie Lambert is a stay-at home mom who is involved
in various school activities, PTA, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, community
and church events. Taking care of her husband and children keeps her busy.
She and her family are all avid skiers so they find themselves enjoying
the slopes a lot!
She was born in western Kentucky into a large family,
number 11 of 15 children. Their house was big and very busy!
She met husband, Brian Lambert, aboard the QUEEN ELIZABETH
II in 1990. They had a shipboard romance, which led to marriage later
on. She left Kentucky in 1991 and moved to Redondo Beach, California,
where she lived for 6 years and where daughter, Audrey Ann, was born.
They left California in 1997 and moved to Littleton, Colorado, where son,
Liam Geoffrey, was born.
They have lived on Maxwell Hill Rd. since 1998 and have
been active members in the Sampson Community club for several years.
Thank
You, Volunteers!
Bob Ahrendts, for performing your duties
as 2010-12 President of the Sampson Community Club.
Jan Clawson, for performing your duties as 2009-11 Vice President of the Sampson Community Club.
The Hogwarts '11 Fall Session crew: Dee & Mike Lee, Gordon Maness, Robert Manzanares, Olivia Segal, Virginia Temmer, "Berti," and our Hogwarts/Hagrid's Garden fan.
The Firewood Donation crew: Mary Alice Ebers, Dee & Mike Lee, Jennifer Sweete, and Virginia Temmer.
The Hogwarts/Hagrid's Garden fan, for your very generous donation of clothing for the Snow Wizard competition as well as the season's worth of class supplies: pipe cleaners, feathers, pom poms, and spools of ribbon.
The Hogwarts '11 Spring Session crew: Dee & Mike Lee, Gordon Maness, Robert Manzanares, Olivia Segal, Julia Slatter, Jennifer Sweete, Virginia Temmer, our Hogwarts/Hagrid's Garden fan, Jessamyn Hutchins, and Sherri Fischer.
The Hogwarts '11 Summer Session crew: Dee & Mike Lee, Gordon Maness, Robert Manzanares, Olivia Segal, Julia Slatter, Jennifer Sweete, Virginia Temmer, "Berti," and our Hogwarts/Hagrid's Garden fan.
The Hogwarts '11 Winter Session crew:
Camille, Diane, & Michaela Anthony, Dee &
Mike Lee, Gordon Maness, Robert Manzanares, Olivia Segal, Julia Slatter,
Jennifer Sweete, and Kevin & Virginia Temmer.
Andy Hoover and his Lamb School Restoration crew, for all of their restoration on the Lamb School.
Janie Lambert, for performing your duties as 2010-12 Secretary of the Sampson Community Club.
Mike & Dee Lee, for maintaining the Club's website.
Mitch Tanenbaum, for printing the "Squeaky Squirrel" as well as the event fliers and e-mail blasting the Sampson Community Club's announcements
Virginia Temmer, for setting up the 2011 and 2012 Calendars as well as all of the 2011 Hogwarts Sessions.
Kim Vantrease, for writing the "Squeaky Squirrel" newsletter.
Bob Vick, for performing your duties as Treasurer of the Sampson Community Club.
"Squeaky Squirrel" Producer
"Greetings," from the desk of
your new "Squeaky Squirrel" Newsletter Producer. My name is
Kim Vantrease and I'm very excited about working with everyone in this
wonderful community and bringing you the area news and events. I live
on Maxwell Hill Road with my husband of 28 years, and from this union
came two daughters, now grown with one giving us two grandchildren…so
far!
A while back, a little house on Maxwell Hill caught our attention…it
was in need of serious TLC so we purchased it and immediately began the
renovation. Truly a labor of love, but we're happy to say, we're nearly
done…only a few more small projects and a storage shed is all that
is left to do…I hope. For several months, we lived like pioneers
with no running water or even a furnace. It was an interesting experience.
Good thing my husband, Red, and I get along so well. Speaking of Red,
he and I own and operate Renaissance Masonry where he is a master mason
and handyman extraordinaire. I'm so lucky! Some of his work can be seen
at www.renaissancemasonry.net.
We're happy to have so many warm neighbors
who have braved our construction site to come meet us! Thank you all for
welcoming us to the area! We look forward to meeting the rest of this
awesome community. This really is the best place in Colorado.
Spiritfood, contributed by Miss Dee
Grandma's Helper
I am reminded of a wonderful story, a story told to me by a very special friend.
One day, not so long ago, Josie's granddaughter was visiting. They decided to bake a cake for that evening's dessert.
Out came the flour canister, the can of baking soda, the box of baking powder, and the container of salt.
Angelina, the granddaughter, climbed up on her stool and securely took hold of the spoon as Grandma tied one of her aprons around Angelina.
Next came out the sugar canister, the milk, a box of cocoa, the mixing bowl, and the recipe. Angelina wanted to help so she pulled the mixing bowl closer to her, which knocked the baking soda on the floor, spilling the contents. In her eagerness to clean up the mess, her spoon caught the edge of the sugar canister, also spilling its contents. As things happen, one mess led to another until Josie, exasperated, suggested Angelina "go outside and play" while Josie swept the floor and made the cake.
"But I want to help, Grandma!"
With love filled arms and heart, Josie gave Angelina a big hug and said, "It will really be a big help if you go outside and play."
The moral to this story is that sometimes we need to "go outside and play" in order for the universe to create what we desire. J
We have a new "Squeaky Squirrel" newsletter Producer. Read about Kim in this issue.
Did you know, there are emergency phones located at each of our firehouses?
The Sampson Community Club's "2012 Calendar Of Events" is included. And yes, there are three Hogwarts Sessions scheduled! We hope to see you at some of the events.
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!
