August 2022 Newsletter

August Newsletter
Community Events
Magician and Balloon Twister sponsored by:
Band sponsored by:
Upcoming Community Events
Enter Wheatlands in the search bar on the left hand side of the page
and then click on Wheatlands Beer and Food Pairing to register
A portion of the food tasting for this event is sponsored by:
Community Event Recap
Thank you to all the neighbors who came out and celebrated with us for 4th of July! We saw tons of smiles on the barrel train and bounce houses! Happy parents enjoying pool side margaritas and neighbors enjoying each other’s company! We loved the bike parade and thank you to Jennifer Cronk with 1320 Homes Real Estate for leading the parade in a vintage fire truck. A HUGE thank you to the YMCA staff and lifeguards for hosting the party, we couldn’t have done it without you! The pool games were so much fun!
Thank you everyone who braved the rain to the Party Safari!!! We had a great time meeting 12 different reptiles and spiders. We were able to touch a majority of them. There was also awesome food from all the food trucks! A special thank you to the Y staff for drying off the tables then moving them inside the clubhouse and wiping them off again. Melissa Engel from Home Mortgage Alliance and Erin Mehojah from Exit Realty are so happy to put these events on to meet our neighbors.
Community Information
Park Phase II:
Progress continues on phase II and if you have walked by the park lately you may have seen it starting to take shape! They have poured the concrete for the basketball surfaces and shade structures. The board also approved adding lighting to the shade structures during our last meeting so they will be running electrical to them. Unfortunately during construction an irrigation main was hit so they are partnering with Cox Landscaping to fix it as soon as possible. You may notice the grass go dormant in some areas of the park until it has been fixed. We appreciate your patience during the construction progress. To see the plan for phase II click here.
Back to school Pool Hours:

Starting August 8th- September 5th:

Monday – Friday 12-4pm
SWIM AT YOUR OWN RISK with a signed waiver (NO LIFEGUARD ON DUTY)
Monday – Friday 4-8pm
Lifeguards on Duty
Saturday and Sunday 10am-8pm
Lifeguards on Duty

Someone will perform chemical checks daily for swim at your own risk

Mineral Rights:
The Wheatlands Metro District discussed briefly at our last board meeting the phone calls a few of our residents are receiving regarding mineral rights. The district has not received any direct information regarding these calls and we are unable to answer any questions regarding the plans for drilling or your individual mineral rights. Ultimately the decision regarding mineral rights is up to each individual homeowner and not the district. We would direct residents to the City of Aurora to find out more information regarding their mineral rights, drilling and the plans for our area. 

Landscape Updates:
We planted 91 new trees in the district last year and only 3 didn’t make it the full year. That is pretty good! The 3 trees are still under warranty and will be replaced. Cox landscaping also completed the walk through with our new monument plantings and found that a significant amount needed to be replanted. These are also under warranty and will be replaced. During our July board meeting, Cox landscaping presented a shrub audit of all the various shrubs in our district and a plan to add more throughout the district. The board voted to move forward with adding additional shrubs near the community center. We will continue to review the landscape plan for budgeting next year.
 
Neighborhood Lights Out:
Our property manager has followed up with Xcel on several neighborhood lights as they have been out for a long time and we are receiving complaints. Xcel energy said they do have a list of lights that need to be fixed for our neighborhood and provide the below lights that are out:
236/833 – M202202010057 (LUM)
733/918 – M202202010059 (LUM)
370/041 – O202203080105 (LUM)
113/566 – O202203220048 (LUM)
704/806 – M202202010060 (LUM)
483/019 – O202206290002 – Underground service line has gone bad this one will take some time to repair as we will need to find the fault, dig up the old wire and replace it with a new one.
375/067 – O202207080023 (NEW)
856/592 – M202202010056 (LUM)
567/595 – O202203300094 (LUM)
086/855 – O202207080025 (NEW)
507/373 – O202207080027 (NEW)

They informed us there is a manufacturing defect on several of the lights (LUM lights) and that they have the part on back order to have them fixed. If you have a light near you that is out or not working, please contact Xcel so they can add it to the list to be fixed. We appreciate your help reporting the lights in our neighborhood and hope they will be able to resolve it soon.
 
Urban Soccer Field:
The district has approved moving forward with the urban soccer fields! This will enhance our recreation center space and allow for multiple sports to be played throughout the year. The project went out to public bid during July and all bids were received by July 21st. We have selected our contractor and are hoping to get the construction started quickly. The next steps will begin with getting approval with the City of Aurora. We look forward to having the turf fields outside the recreation center and being able to offer additional adult and youth sports.
COVENANT ENFORCEMENT
Here at Wheatlands we know that this has been a difficult season for lawn maintenance and weed control due to the extreme conditions we have had this summer and watering restrictions that are in place. 

We have spoken to a landscaper and compiled some helpful tips below:

1. Water in cooler parts of the day, early morning or late at night. 
2. Don’t water to the point of run off, it is better to cycle areas for small amounts of time, for better absorption.
3. One of the best things you could do to help keep your lawn green in hot dry weather, is get a product called Revive (can be found at Home Depot, Lowes, Walmart, and other gardening stores), it attaches to your hose, and you spray it over the whole lawn. It helps break up the soil and provide nutrients, so the water has better absorption. You can do it up to once a week to start and then just monthly.
https://www.revive.com/how-revive-works/ 

4. If you don’t like using chemical treatments for weeds, try using this natural recipe for weed killer: https://nativeplantherald.prairienursery.com/2019/01/how-to-make-a-homemade-weed-killer/ 

5. If it is over 85 degrees do not spray your weeds either chemical or natural solutions as the weeds plant cells close and do not absorb anything. Spraying early in the morning to avoid the heat is the best time. 

It’s been the perfect storm for Colorado’s tough weeds, with an early spring and just enough hand-watering and natural precipitation to germinate seeds.
If you’re down for the fight and fixing to win, arm yourself with these seven strategic bits of info.

• Fertilizer needs to be in your arsenal. According to researchers at Colorado State University, weeds thrive even better in lawns that are not fertilized. A healthy lawn crowds out weeds, and part of building a healthy lawn is proper fertilization.

• Drying out weeds won’t help you kill them. Again according to CSU, drought-stressed weeds may look like they are about to die, but they aren’t. They’ve evolved to thwart drought. But the healthier that weeds are, the easier they are to control because healthy weeds are better able to take in anything you put on them.

• Know your weed before you pull it. If the numbers are manageable, many can simply be dug out. Other weeds, such as bindweed and thistle, generally should not be pulled because their roots grow deep. Pulling these weeds just activates their regenerative root systems to start more growth. (If you’re trying to fight bindweed naturally, cut it.)

• If you apply a weed treatment, know its limitations. Here are two critical distinctions among weed-zapping products:
Selective products are effective because they’re designed to select certain plant traits to work on, such as broadleaf weeds. These products are effective on dandelions (broad leaves) in the lawn because they deal with the dandelions and don’t harm the grass (thin blades/leaves).
Nonselective products will zap any plant they contact. So if you use a product like Roundup — or one of the newer horticultural vinegars — you need to know that they will affect both the dandelion and the lawn.

• For any product, follow the label. Find out what the product is good for and where it might do more harm than good. If you use a product that requires mixing with water, don’t assume more is better. According to USDA scientists who do testing, using more product is usually less effective than the recommended amount.

• Is there a breeze? Whatever treatment you use, beware of it drifting even in a slight waft.

• The best strategy in the weed war is to be always on the offensive. The more proactive you are in the battle against weeds, the better your success. Treating weeds early and effectively, before they develop and disperse seeds — sometimes tens of thousands of them — gets the best control.
Becky Garber is a member of the Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado. This article originally appeared in the Vail Daily.
Next Board Meeting

Thursday, August 11th at 6:00pm
this meeting will be a held in person at the Wheatlands Clubhouse located at
6601 S Wheatlands Parkway

We welcome all community members to attend and participate in our board meetings.

Get involved and volunteer for a committee and share your talents!

Going forward the board has decided to allow for flexibility with our meetings
and will post on the agenda prior to each meeting if they will be at the clubhouse or online. 

View our website at www.wheatlandsmetro.org to see the agenda and past meeting minutes. 


Thank you! 
YMCA Programs
Kids Night Out!

When: Friday August 5th & 19th
5:30 pm-8:30 pm

Where: Aurora YMCA at Wheatlands
6100 S Kewaunee Way
Aurora, CO 80016

What: Kids Night Out
Drop the kids off for 3 hours of fun. Dinner, games, crafts, and a movie. Our staff will start the evening with dinner and then lead the kids through a craft and some fun games and activities, followed by a movie. 

Ages: Potty-trained to 12 years old.

Please register by the previous Wednesday.

Cost: $20/child
Limited to 20 kids.

In order for us to have Kids Night Out
will need at least 6 children to sign up. 
Enter Aurora Kids Night Out in the search bar on the left hand side of the page
and then click on Kids Night Out to register
Southlands Events
Southlands Wine Walk
Thursday, September 15th from 5-8pm

Tickets are $15 in advance and $25 at the door.

Click below to purchase tickets and get more information

Proceeds go to the YMCA of Metropolitan Denver to help provide programs and scholarships!.