Effective May 18, 2020, five LRAA members were officially appointed by the LRAA Board of Trustees to replace outgoing board members. As per the LRAA bylaws, these members will serve on the board in an interim capacity until the next membership meeting, when the membership will vote to officially fill the positions. We appreciate their generousity in stepping up to serve on our (all volunteer) Board.

Since you weren’t able to meet them in person, as would have been the case if the Annual Member Meeting hadn’t been postponed, we thought we’d tell you a little about each of them here.

To find out who else donates their time keeping LRAA running smoothly, please visit the LRAA Board page.

Mark Brown (Airstrip Committee)
My family and I have a cabin on Mercer Rd along the river. We have been residents there now for about 2 years. I have 3 girls and my wife Tara. What drew us to Lost River was the “airport community” as I am a commercial fixed wing/helicopter pilot and flight instructor. We own an aerial agricultural business in Quincy, and I am actively involved in aviation.

I have lived in Washington my whole life and have been coming to the Methow since I was a young child and we love to be able to fly up to our cabin. I understand the importance of our airport and its infrastructure as I own one myself. These airports are so important to the community for many reasons and are nearly irreplaceable. I attended last spring’s meeting and understand we have many important issues we need to deal with. I would be honored to help with the LRAA board in maintaining our special place and keeping it the way it is for many years to come.

Brandon DeCuir (Safety/Environment Committee)
My wife Christi and I, along with our two children Soren & Lena, live full time in Bellingham but have enjoyed our property in LRAA since 2014. While in the Methow, we love mountain biking, hiking, and cross-country skiing.

Professionally I have been active in executive roles with technology business in various capacities for the last twenty years. I am currently the VP of marketing and business development for a Seattle based software company. Previously I owned and operated several businesses. I have a background in management, operations, and finance.

J Gordon (WUCIOA Committee)
I am a geotechnical engineer (soils, foundations, hydrogeology, ground contamination – just about anything below ground). My wife and I have owned in Lost River for about 13 years.

For 11 years I served on the Board of Trustees for the Bellingham Public Library (governing board), where I met with department heads, the mayor, etc. in the process of conducting library business. I served as chair of the library board for the last four years there. I am also on the Board of Directors for my geotechnical company.

Malcolm Griffes (Secretary)
I grew up on the ‘wet side’ of the Cascades in Seattle, and after spending many seasons traveling out to the Methow Valley for climbing, decided to move over to this side of the mountains in February of 2020. Joined by my fiancé Gretchen and herding dog Luna, I have happily made Mazama my home, and I’m eager to get involved with the Lost River Airport Association community. If not out climbing, biking, snowboarding, or running, I can be found writing articles in Twisp for the Methow Valley News. If you ever need a belay or a strong cup of coffee feel free to stop by.

Sylvia Silberhorn (Treasurer & River Access Committee)
I live in the state of Michigan, but my husband and I travel to Lost River a couple times a year staying each time about 3 months.

I retired in 2018. Prior to retirement I was an employee of Milacron Inc. for 30 years. During that time I was a Materials Manager which included Supervising Purchasing, Production Control, Inventory Control, and Shipping and Receiving for 15 years. I worked closely with Sales, Accounting, Engineering and Manufacturing.Before Materials Manager I was a Supervisor over Production Control.

John and I have owned property in Lost River since 2017 and love the charm and mystical qualities that it has to offer.

Bear spotted on Harris Road.

We currently have two bears hanging around Lost River. Recently they have gotten into the garbage shed and into garbage cans on member property. We contacted the Department of Fish and Wildlife to investigate options. The policy of the DF&W is NOT to capture and relocate bears. If a bear becomes a problem, they will euthanize it.

This time of year, the bears are looking for berries and other food along the river. We do not want bears to develop a taste for our community garbage or food from any private property. This would be bad for the community and bad for the bears. As Sargent Christensen of the DF&W said, “a fed bear is a dead bear.”

While a bear could certainly force its way in to the shed, the lack of claw marks on the doors and infrequency of visits points to the likelihood that the bear is getting in when the doors are left open. Please help us take preventive measures.

• Always make sure you close the garbage shed doors all the way, and if you pass by and see a door open, please stop and close it.

• Since this is the second year in a row that we have had bears in our community, we will likely need to add latches to the garbage shed doors. However, latches will only work if everyone closes the doors after dropping off garbage and recycling.

On your private property you can likewise take preventive measures to eliminate bear attractants.

• Secure your own food, garbage, compost, and recycling.

• Remove bird feeders.

• Do not leave pet food outdoors.

• Keep your grill clean of grease, fat, and food particles that build up with use.

For additional facts and (safety) tips for how to live responsibly with black bears, please visit BearWise.

If you encounter an actively aggressive bear call the Washington State Patrol at (509) 227-6650 and they will dispatch enforcement officers. Also contact the LRAA through the Contact Us form on our website.

Thank you for taking proactive steps to protect our community and the bears in the area.

On April 14, 2020, the Okanogan County Comissioners passed a resolution restricting the rental of overnight accommodations throughout the county. The resolution was amended on April 24th, 2020.

Read full text here: Okanogan County Resolution 51-2020 - Closure of Overnight Transient Accomodation

Dear LRAA Members,

We hope that this letter finds you healthy and safe during this unprecedented health crisis. Your LRAA Board has been working to determine the implications of the governor’s Stay at Home order for LRAA and our annual membership meeting. The purpose of this letter is to explain the board’s decisions and to provide an update on important Association business.

ANNUAL MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT
The first news is that the board has voted to postpone the annual membership meeting originally scheduled for May 24th. We felt this was necessary in order to protect the health and safety of our members. Currently Gov. Inslee’s order extends to May 4th. Even if the meeting is allowed under the new orders, social distancing at a meeting with around 80 people is a challenge. Many of our members who traditionally attend the meeting are of an age that is considered a high health risk. Last year it rained during the meeting and we had to move inside the firehouse, which would not be possible with social distancing requirements.  We debated the option of hosting a phone or video conference but decided that the logistics of doing so would not allow our members to adequately attend or participate in the meeting. Our hope is that we will be able to reschedule sometime later in the summer or fall. We will keep the website updated, and we will send out an email blast and postcards to inform everyone as soon as possible if a new date can be set later in 2020.                  

EMERGENCY BYLAWS
In view of the governor’s Stay Home, Stay Safe proclamation, and rules adopted by the county, state, and federal authorities, and on advice of the association legal counsel, the board adopted Emergency Bylaws on April 5thunder the authority of RCW 23B.02.070. These Emergency Bylaws are valid only during the emergency order. They provide the board with the ability to change the date of the annual meeting, allow voting in different formats if needed, clarify the establishment of a quorum, and to fill vacant board positions. The Emergency Bylaws are posted on the website.

WUCIOA
Due to postponement of the Annual Membership Meeting and uncertainties surrounding how many members will be able to attend a later annual meeting, the board has decided to delay addressing some important issues until the 2021 annual meeting. These issues include a discussion of whether to be governed by WUCIOA and revisions to our bylaws required by those provisions of WUCIOA that apply to LRAA, whether we decide to be governed by all of WUCIOA or not. Both topics will be on the agenda at the 2021 meeting. The board will take steps to comply with the mandatory WUCIOA requirements in the meantime. One of those requirements is to have a Reserve Study done. The board has already contracted with a reserve study professional to do that study, which will be completed in the coming weeks. The results will be posted on the website.                            

BUDGET
The board created a budget for 2021 that needs to be approved by the membership. Since our fiscal year ends December 31st, there is no hurry to approve the new budget. Our hope is that this can take place at the rescheduled meeting this summer or fall. If circumstances do not allow our meeting to be rescheduled and the budget is not approved, our bylaws say that we will continue with the previously approved budget (2020). It is our belief that this would not create a hardship for the association since the 2021 budget is not substantially different than the 2020 budget. 

BOARD OF TRUSTEES
The LRAA currently has five open board positions. One board member has moved and is no longer in our community; two board members are term-limited and must rotate off; one board member is choosing not to run for a second term; and one board member is resigning with one year left in his term.  The board is going to emergency-appoint five new members. This will allow the board to continue with the full complement of nine members. According to our bylaws, emergency appointments last until the next membership meeting, when the members will vote to officially fill the positions. Again, more information regarding the new Board members will be posted on the website.                                                             

Please continue to check the website for updates and information regarding the Annual Meeting. If you have questions or concerns, please send them to us via the “Contact Us” form or to our Business Manager at lraa.business@gmail.com or (509) 996-3215.

Sincerely, 
LRAA Board

• LRAA-2020-Annual-Member-Letter-Packet [pdf] April 22, 2020

The Okanogan County Electric Co-op scheduled the Lost River to Mazama Store area for tree trimming in 2020. The purpose of this work is to ensure appropriate clearance of trees/limbs from OCEC structures responsible for conducting electricity. OCEC is fully responsible for managing this project, including the scheduling of work and scope of work.

OCEC was able to begin the work this past February. The Co-op plans to return to clean up and chip the downed branches. However, given the COVID-19 pandemic, the time frame for getting this work done is not yet determined.

Any questions should be directed to OCEC at (509) 996-2228. More information can be found on the OCEC website under Quick Links, “Tree Trimming [pdf]".

COVID-19 RESPONSE

March and April is the time of year that usually marks the arrival of spring in all its beauty to the Methow Valley and the rest of Washington. Spring is here, but it comes in the shadow of the coronavirus crisis. With our country in the grip of a pandemic, each of us has undoubtedly felt the ripple effects of the virus in some form. The health and safety of our community and our families is our highest priority. 

On Monday, March 23, Governor Jay Inslee made a statewide Order for everyone to stay home for two weeks, beginning March 25. We urge community members and travelers to stay at home and take protective measures against coming into contact with, or spreading, COVID-19.

There is ample information out there about the virus and the current worldwide and statewide measures in place to prevent its spread. Please remember that we all share in the collective duty to ensure the health and safety of this community.

On behalf of the LRAA Board, I wish you all well in these challenging times. Take good care of yourselves and your families.

OTHER LRAA BUSINESS

Annual Dues
    •    Membership dues: $619  
    •    Water Fees (per Water Right): $305  
    •    Total with one water right: $924

Please make every effort to pay your dues by March 31st. Thanks to all of you who already sent in your payment. Remember that our 2020 annual membership dues are the primary means to fund the day-to-day and annual operation of the Association from January 1 through the end of 2020.

That said, the Board and your neighbors are aware that some members of the Lost River community may be facing considerable financial hardship caused by the coronavirus. They may have lost their jobs, they may be ill with the virus and can’t work, or they may be caring for someone who has the virus. If you are facing that kind of financial hardship, please let the Board know before March 31st if you need to have your payment due date extended to June 30, 2020. During that period no late fee or interest will be charged.

Lastly, due to the coronavirus, our accountant's business office has been understaffed. Payment checks sent by LRAA members will be slow to get deposited. Please be patient if you are waiting for notification that your check has cleared. This may not take place for several more weeks. In the meantime, the date your payment was postmarked will be sufficient for proof of on-time payment.

WUCIOA Update
The third in a series of communications intended to inform LRAA members about the results of the Board's review of the new Washington Uniform Common Interest Ownership Act (WUCIOA) is now available. Please see Information about WUCIOA #3 in LRAA News on the website.

Annual Membership Meeting
This year's Annual Membership Meeting is currently scheduled for Sunday, May 24, in accordance with LRAA Bylaws. However, as a community we need to face the very real possibility that this meeting will need to be cancelled or postponed. The Board is monitoring the situation, and we will make a timely decision that prioritizes the health and safety of Lost River and its members.

As I bring this message to a close, please know that the LRAA Board remains committed to the smooth functioning of our community. Under these unprecedented circumstances, we must also be mindful of the impact of the coronavirus on our families, the Association, the Methow Valley, and beyond.

If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to the Board via the Contact Us page on our website.

Respectfully,
Kevin Piasecki
LRAA President