To All Users of the Fern Acres Community Association Website:

We recently raised the membership dues for the first time since 1967. They used to use the extra membership money to do roadwork before the mandatory road fees came to be.  We have trimmed the office back to the "bare bones" with Ai Chir’s hours now being Tuesdays from 9 – 12 and Thursdays from 9 – 3 in an effort to have more money for community projects. Sometimes on Tuesdays she is at the tax office.

The membership fees pay 25% of the office cost and the road fees pay 75% of them.  We cannot use road fees for other community events and functions so our funds are very limited.

Right now we have about 45 less members than last year and this really knocks the budget for a loop in supporting the extra events that are needed for community improvements. We would appreciate any additional memberships or specific donations for any of the following Association functions:

Notary Service Free for members:
     $5.00 charge for non-Members at FACA office / Tuesday morning and Thursdays.
Support for the Annual Picnic and Meeting (Sunday July 13th this year).
Xerox service at office:
      Nominal fee per copy / Tuesday morning and Thursdays
Financial support and meeting place for Neighborhood Watch
Financial Support for the Fern Acres Volunteer Fire Department
Continuing efforts to complete electrical pole and wire installation on Anthurium
Continuing road improvements and maintenance

If a person does not feel they want to join the Association, we would still appreciate a contribution to any of the special projects that our Associaiton is promoting. We have set up special accounts for each project to insure the money goes only to that effort.

Thank you,
Jim Tatar, Past President, FACA

I live about 2,500 miles away from Fern Acres. But... my wife and I have been paid members of the Fern Acres Community Association since before we received the signed title papers to the land that will be our future home. WHY ?? Because Fern Acres is, by almost any standard, the best subdivision in Puna, as evidenced by the statements of the folks who live here and by future residents who have looked around the Big Island and said "this is the place for me!" A big reason for this is the dedication and hard work that has been put into this growing community by the members of our Community Association.

My wife and I look at our $25.00 annual FACA dues as a real bargain - an inexpensive investment in the health and well-being of our future home and community. The Association provides a myriad of benefits for existing residents of Fern Acres; notary services, copy services, a Volunteer Fire Department, support for Community Watch and dedicated group of people watching out for our Community's interests.

But as you can read in the President's message, our website has apparently had the undesirable and totally unintended side-effect of reducing FACA memberships! Consequently, we have made a financial decision to cease posting the FACA newsletter on our website and, in effect, return the newsletter to a subscription basis via your paid FACA membership.

So... please join or re-join your Community Association or send in a contribution - it will make a difference !! Not just because you want to receive the newsletter, but because you want to support your Community Association. Because you want to help it continue to create a wonderful place to live up here in Fern Acres based on what we want Fern Acres to be for all of us !!

Sincerely,
Bill Taylor, FACA Webmaster