pwn-08-25-14

Pinewood News August 25, 201411PINEWOOD PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATIONP.O. Box 18673Munds Park, AZ 86017By Bill SpainPPOA Citizen Awards ChairChuck Steen Receives PPOA Citizenship AwardAnd Is Example Of True Community StewardshipFOUR PEOPLE WEREKILLED IN ARIZONA IN 2013BY LIGHTNING STRIKESINCLUDING TWO TOURISTSAT OAK CREEEK OVERLOOKJUST A FEW MILES FROMMUNDS PARK.Community Emergency Alert SirenLightning: A twenty second long sustained blast of the siren means seek cover fromopen areas…leave the golf course, do not take cover under trees…go in-doors as soonas possible.All Clear for Lightning is three short blastsChuck Steen is always smiling….and laughing….andcajoling those around him to be involved in thelocal community. Chuck has given hundreds ofhours of volunteerism to Munds Park over theyears and was the lightning rod behind the lightningsiren that rings out loud over our community whenever there is danger ofpossible lightning strikes in our vicinity. The vote to name Chuck Steen as a recipientof a “Citizenship Award” was unanimous among the PPOA Board of Directors,chosen from a candidate field of six finalists.“Chuck is a very persistent and focused man,” said Dick Drinen, President of thePPOA Board. “In his good natured way, he doesn’t let road blocks stop him fromachieving the ultimate goal,” added Drinen, “Which is a major reason why wewere successful in implementing the siren safety program. He found many innovativeways to make the installation happenin a reasonable and cost effectivemanner,” commented Drinen.Chuck “Siren” Steen worked with thecompany that manufactures the sirenlocated above the Pinewood Fire Stationalong with the Fire Chief to install thesafety device. He overcame one roadblock after another to make the multiyearprocess become a reality. The sireneffectively notifies Munds Park residents of possible lightning danger as well asother possible emergency scenarios including threat of fire or attack. The safetydevice was installed in 2012 replacing an antiquated system that was difficult tohear.Lightning caused 23 deaths nationwide in 2013 with Arizona and Florida havingthe highest number of strikes. Safety devices such as the siren installed in MundsPark have brought lightning deaths to the lowest level ever in 2013. The highpoint of lightning deaths occurred in 1943 with 432 deaths nationwide. Arizonahas always been one of the highest lightning strike areas in the country.The idea of getting struck by lightning has always been equated to somethingrare and unlikely, but records show dying from a strike is more common thanfrom other natural phenomena. Since records began in 1940, more than 9,200people have been killed in the U.S. by lightning. This compares to around 7,400killed by tornadoes, 7,500 killed by floods and 3,300 killedby hurricanes.Fire: A blast of sixteen seconds on, followed by eight seconds of in a series of fourcycles announces a fire emergency in the local areaAttack: Six seconds on and three seconds off for a sequence of three cyclesALL CLEAR: Six seconds on and three seconds off for a series of three cycles for Fireand AttackBesides his earmark success with the installation of the emergency siren andthe raising of funds and reducing of costs associated with the program, Chuckalso served in a variety of ways for the benefit of the community. He was avery active member of the PPOA Board for ten years and served as theCommunications Chair, initiating the “Happenings Column.” He was RosterChair and also participated in Community Relations, Park and Rec and theEnvironment Committees. Chuck was instrumental in the initiation of the ParkBench seating that is placed all along Pinewood Blvd. for the use of the localcommunity. Chuck involved himself in a lot of the smaller details that otherswere not interested in but the community benefits from.Chuck Steen has been a Captain in the Neighborhood Watch Program for Unit10 A for several years. He was instrumental in the development of the SanitaryDistrict Advisory Committee who was responsible for the recruitment andselection of Jim Wilson, our current sanitary district manager. Chuck evendeveloped the employment contract pertinent to Jim’s hiring. He has ownedproperty here with his lovely wife, Dee, since 1979, originally living on Wildcatoff Mustang until building his log cabin dream home “On Golden Pond.” TheSteen’s hosted the PPOA annual year-end party for nine years before retiringfrom the PPOA board a few years ago. Dee and Chuck have been married for44 years and have two children and two grand-children with another one onthe way expected in September. Chuck founded a mini-storage business backin 1977 when only twenty of them existed. He enjoys wood-working and makingfine craftsman furniture and riding ATV’s with friends in the surroundingforest near Munds Park.The individuals selected to receive the PPOA Citizenship Award receive a giftcertificate for $100 from the organization in recognition of their efforts. Moreimportantly, the award winners, who represent the best in volunteerism, bothcivic and philanthropic, are recognized by their peers and constituents as settingan example and tone for inclusiveness, helpfulness and caring for others.These leaders give back to the community in a kind, generous and selflessmanner…without an agenda and for long periods of time. Chuck Steen is atrue example of this kind of leader and is missed by those he shared time andtalents with on the Pinewood Property Owners Association Board.