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.
The Squeaky Squirrel
A
newsletter about and for our Mountain Community by Miss Dee, published
author (a.k.a. Dee Lee)
March
15, 2006
Canyon Memories by Lila Kint
Jim and I and our one-year-old son moved into Deer Creek Canyon from a small basement apartment in Englewood in 1953. We wanted to raise our family in a rural area and we found a little house for rent on South Deer Creek Road for $35 a month. At that time many of the houses in the area were "summer cabins" owned by city dwellers who spent weekends in the mountains, or in some cases by "out-of-staters" who liked to spend their vacations in the mountains.
Most of the roads in the area at that time were dirt roads, even Kipling and other streets outside the canyon. There was a small grocery store at Phillipsburg in addition to a large dance hall, which were both run by Fred and Maude Clark at the time. Wiley Phillips' big green barn was also there and remains so today.
The cabin we rented was 1¼ miles south of Phillipsburg. There was a hand pump mounted on the kitchen sink and a wood burning cookstove in the corner. The cabin hadn't been lived in for some time and shortly after we moved into it, we heard a strange noise on the back porch in the middle of the night. Jim shone the flashlight on the steps leading to a spare bedroom and saw a packrat stick its head up through one of the steps. It had apparently been living in the garage, which was under the kitchen, and had gnawed a hole in the step. The packrat problem was ended the next night, thanks to a stray cat, which we shut in the garage.
We lived in the little house for five years, while we saved enough money to buy 10½ acres of land one-fourth mile south of there and built our own home. *
Lila Kint
is one of our local area historians. She shared her knowledge of the area
one evening, years ago, at the Sampson Community Club's "History Night"
and helped edit the book, Mountain Memories, From Coffee Pot Hill to Medlen
Town, published by Limited Publications, Lakewood, Colorado. Lila has
graciously agreed to share with the Squeaky Squirrel readership, through
out this year, her expertise, stories, and some of her precious memories about
the area we all call home. Lila, from all of us, thank you!
The
Squeaky Squirrel, a quarterly newsletter, is published on the 15th of March,
June, September and December. Deadlines for ads and submissions are the
27th of February, May, August, and November. If you have a story, an idea
or a suggestion, please contact Miss Dee at (303) 697-2558, e-mail her
at missdee001@earthlink.net or drop a note in the Sampson Community Club's mailbox:
16150 Sampson Road, Littleton, CO 80127. Please include your evening phone
number.
From the Board
Lamb School
Do you remember that beautiful spot on top of Kuehster Road with the historic school, where we have had Pig Roasts in the past? This property, about a single acre, belongs to the Sampson Community Club, and we have "care taken" it for some time. Yes it's pretty old and broken down; it needs love and attention. Attached to the school is an old broken down well, off the property grounds.
Recently, several homes have been built in the area. One such relatively upscale home is nearing completion on the adjacent property, scheduled for certificate of occupancy in early April. The builder has discussed the situation with us: he is interested in working out a solution that agrees with us, the surrounding environment, and his future resident's needs. He'd like to keep the rustic appearance in the area, and has been respectful of our property and its history: e.g., he had our toilet cleaned and moved to our property.
The rural outlook of this property isn't the same as before, and more houses will be built nearby in time. Unfortunately, the well is on the builder's property; it is a safety hazard. Therefore something needs to be done. Title and legal records on this aren't too clear or accurate, so one hopes we don't have to hire lots of lawyers to work it out.
As
we are an organization with community-first values, we need to decide how to proceed:
1.
Titles and law need to be respected.
2.
Our new neighbors need to be respected and welcome.
3.
The well needs to be made safe and presentable.
4.
We need to determine the future of Lamb School.
There are many possibilities for #4, and we encourage your input and participation. The Executive Committee will do its best to follow your wishes and consensus, to the degree that it is practical, financially feasible, and within the charter of the Sampson Community Club. Please feedback to any Executive Committee (Board) Member by email or phone, and we will develop and follow this consensus.
Thanks for your interest!
Respectfully,
Dave
Pettus
President, Sampson Community Club
2005/2006 Board Members Electronic Mail
President,
Dave Pettus (303) 697-8780 Would
you like to receive the
Vice President, Virginia Temmer (303) 697-7272 Squeaky
Squirrel electronically?
Secretary,
Dee Lee (a.k.a. Miss Dee) (303) 697-2558 Please
contact Mitch Tanenbaum at
Treasurer, Brian
Lambert (303) 697-8933 MTanen@prolynx.com.
Just a Reminder
There is an Event Flyer box located under the Club's announcement board, Deer Creek Canyon and Deer Creek Canyon Road, across from Phillipsburg. This box holds fliers about the coming event.
Bear Season Cue
The
Bears come out of hibernation 
mid
to late March!
·
Empty your bird feeders, wash them, and put them away until mid-November.
·
Don't store trash in your house or garage.
·
Don't leave food sitting on your kitchen counter.
·
Make noise when you are outside.
Division of Wildlife (303) 297-1192 Dispatch (303) 291-7227 Operation Game Thief 1-800-332-4144
And Speaking of Bears (Dead Doughnuts)
Last
fall, my good neighbor sent me an advisory e-mail note. With her permission, I'm
sharing that informative note with you.
September 12, 2005 8:17 AM
To:
Miss Dee
Subject: Bear
Last night/this morning,
a bear broke the passenger front window on the Explorer. There were some
dead doughnuts in it. The window will cost $165.00 to replace and I have
a $500.00 deductible!
September 12, 2005 9:15 AM
To: Good Neighbor
Subject:
Bear
Thank goodness he didn't go through your
front door.
September 12, 2005 9:30 AM
To: Miss Dee
Subject:
Bear
Yeah, the bear also ripped the lower part
of the driver's front seat and really tore up the back seat where the doughnuts
were.
To conclude, yes my neighbor got her Explorer repaired. In addition, I had received two telephone calls about this bear around the time of my neighbor's "dead doughnut vs. the bear" ordeal. The callers informed me that the bear "was big!" And it was. This bear walked behind and very close to my house. The width and the depth of his/her tracks confirmed that he/she weighed 350 to 400 pounds! Yeah, BIG! So, just a reminder, be Bear Wise!
www.sampsonclub.org
The Sampson Community Club's user-friendly website is updated monthly and sometimes, more often than that! Last August, the Pig Roast was moved the day of the roast (because of the rain) and the move was posted on the website. The event dates and details are posted on the Home page. And there are other informative pages, including, About Us, Calendar, Community Businesses, Thank You, Tomato Talk, and the Squeaky Squirrel Archives, to name a few. It's well worth your time to visit and also a great way to stay on top of current events!
The Greenhouse Corner
Here is a helpful gardening tip a friend of mine suggested I try: before putting on my gloves, scrape my fingernails across a bar of hand soap. The soap under my nails will help keep the dirt from staying under and/or staining my fingernails. It also helps make clean up faster. She was right.
On to gardening… If you haven't already, sketch your garden plans because before you know it, it'll be time to plant!
March and April: "Deep Root" water your fruit and special trees about once or twice per month. Start your summer veggies inside, following the plant by the moon rule: plant your up-top veggies (tomatoes, corn, squash) during the full moon, March 14th or April 13th, and plant your root veggies (potatoes, carrots) during the new moon, March 29th or April 27th.
Late April: take the Tree Wrap off of your special trees if you wrapped them last fall. Hang onion slices on your Cherry or other fruit trees to keep the birds away: they are after the moisture in the fruit.
Mid to late May: till and prepare the soil then plant the veggies you started earlier this year or your purchased veggie plants. Transplant trees and/or shrubs and plant flower bulbs.
See you at the Gardener's Cache - Plant & Seed Swap.
Event
Season Begins…cut out the information below and tape it to your calendar!
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April
22nd April
28th May
7th June
10th
10:00
a.m. 6
- 8:30 p.m. 9:00
a.m. 8
- 11:00 a.m.
Gardener's
Cache - Kids' Mystery Mountain
Mama Roll-Off Spruce Up
Plant
& Seed Swap Party Breakfast
Coordinator: Coordinators:
Coordinators:
Coordinator:
Dee
Lee Virginia
Temmer Brian Lambert Virginia
Temmer
(303) 697-2558
&
Barbara Asprey (303) 697-8933 (303)
697-7272
(303)
697-8780 & Virginia Temmer
-
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Gardener's Cache -
Plant & Seed Swap April 22nd 10:00 a.m.
It's
time, once again, to share gardening ideas and swap plants, vegetable and flower
seeds as well as gardening books and pamphlets. This year we'll have more
information about greenhouse and container gardening. So whether you are
going to let your green thumb loose for the first time this year or are a seasoned
gardener, please, come join us. We'll swap, talk, and exchange ideas while
we sip on coffee or tea and eat some treats. Are we giving a door prize?
You bet! It's a porcelain seed box.
Coordinator:
Dee Lee (303) 697-2558.
$3.00 per adult.
Kids' Mystery Party: "Storm Survivors" April 28th, not Mar. 10th 6 - 8:30 p.m.
This is our third annual Kids' Mystery Party. The kids had a great time in 2004 discovering who stole King Gilroy's gold in, "The Luck of the Irish," and last year, they concluded that Annabel shot her father, Richard Woods, in, "Murder on the Prairie." "Storm Survivors" is targeted for ages 10 - 16. The deadline to sign up is April 10th. Please call either coordinator to sign up or for additional information.
Coordinators: Virginia
Temmer (303) 697-7272 and Barbara Asprey (303) 697-8780.
$12.00
per person for dinner and drinks.
Mountain Mama Breakfast May 7th 9:00 a.m.
A beautiful, fresh rose for Mom and a delicious breakfast served by our congenial wait staff is what the Mountain Mama Breakfast is all about. This year, Brian Lambert, the Club's treasurer, will man the stove! You won't want to miss this get-together so please join us.
Coordinators: Brian Lambert (303) 697-8933 and Virginia
Temmer (303) 697-7272.
Free for Moms, $5.00
per adult, $3.00 per child.
Roll-Off Spruce Up June 10th 8:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Back by popular demand, the Roll-Off Spruce Up! The Sampson Community Club is renting a Roll-Off so bring down that freshly cut slash, that junk in the corner of the garage or the big stuff that is too yucky to give away or too big for the regular dumpster (i.e. that extra sofa or broken chair) For a reasonable contribution, put it in the roll-off and save yourself a trip to the dump. Sorry, but if you're not early enough to get it in, your junk will have to go back where it came from. * We can't take old paint or other items considered hazardous.
Coordinator: Virginia Temmer (303) 697-7272.
Mark These Dates, Too!
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July
15th August
12th September
9th
Noon
Noon
8:00
a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Barbecue
and Pig
Roast Roll-Off
Spruce Up &
Ice
Cream Social the
Canyon Clean Up
at
10:00 a.m.
Coordinator:
Coordinators:
Coordinator:
Dave
Pettus Bryn
Shepeck Virginia
Temmer
(303)
697-8780 & Glick
Bishop (303)
697-7272
We need Ice Cream makers! (303)
697-4414
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Wanted:
1 "Calling Committee" volunteer & 1 Photographer
Our Calling Committee needs 1 volunteer; 1-2 hours
per month, March through November. And the Club could use the assistance
and talents of one more shutterbug to help photograph some of this year's events.
Please call Miss Dee (303) 697-2558 or Virginia Temmer (303) 697-7272.
A Special Thank You to
Anonymous, for repairing the wood burning stoves, both upstairs and downstairs, at the Sampson Schoolhouse.
The Annual Membership Drive Crew: Barbara Asprey, Brian Lambert, Dee and Mike Lee, Dave and Sami Pettus, Clint Raabe, and Virginia Temmer, for donating your energy, expertise, and time to send out the Club's Membership Drive packets.
Lila Kint, for contributing your priceless column, "Canyon Memories," to the Squeaky Squirrel.
Brian Lambert, for performing your duties as Treasurer of the Sampson Community Club.
Dee Lee, for performing your duties as Secretary of the Sampson Community Club, coordinating the Calling Committee, and for writing both the Squeaky Squirrel and the script for the Sampson Community Club's website.
Mike Lee, for maintaining the Club's
website.
The New Year's Eve Party for Kids
Crew: Barbara Asprey, Dave and Sami Pettus, Robert Manzanares, and Kevin,
Michelle, and Virginia Temmer, for your valued assistance with the party.
Dave Pettus, for performing your duties as President of the Sampson Community Club.
The Squeaky Squirrel Prep Crew: Dee and Mike Lee, for preparing the newsletter for mailing.
Mitch Tanenbaum, for printing the Squeaky Squirrel as well as the event fliers and e-mail blasting the Club's announcements.
Virginia Temmer, for performing your duties as Vice President of the Sampson Community Club.
And thank you, members, for paying your yearly $20.00 dues. If you need to pay your dues or 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: Sampson Community Club, 16150 Sampson Road, Littleton, CO, 80127. If you have any questions, please call one of the Board Members listed on page 2.
Community Service
If anyone needs to perform Community Service, the Sampson Community Club will gladly accept your help! Call Virginia Temmer at (303) 697-7272.
YourHub.com
The Club is now advertising its events on, www.YourHub.com, which is an extension of the Denver Post. Last year, we advertised the Haunted House. This ad included a few photos from previous years as well as some of the 2005 Haunted House pictures. Our ad for the "Gardener's Cache - Plant and Seed Swap," is located on the World Wide Web at, http://denver.yourhub.com/Event.aspx?contentid=55900.
Need a place to rent for a special occasion? Both the Sampson
and
Lamb Schoolhouses are available. Call Virginia Temmer (303) 697-7272.