Dear Homeowners and Residents:

The time has come.  Residents will flock outside, breathe the crisp air, and see neighbors they have not seen in months. Soccer moms will yell at their husbands to stop eating all the good candy. Kids will be chomping at the bit.  Of course, I am talking about Halloween. Since scores of young families with kids have moved into Beau Chene, we can assume that 2019 will be a record year for costumes and candy hauls. My 11-year old daughter, Lucy, will be dressed as a Dr. Pepper can, and we are deep in negotiations with our 14-year-old son, Preston, but the idea of a costume is not looking good.  So, I asked some families in Beau Chene to tell us what their plans & costumes are.
 

Ellie and Trey Maddox had this to say, “We are looking forward to our first Halloween in Beau Chene!  Our kids are excited to cover as much ground as possible to overflow their candy bags. We have close friends all throughout the neighborhood so having the option to use our golf cart is a major plus to living in the Beau Chene community!  We will be Trick-or-Treating from Marina Oaks Drive all the way back to our house on Evangeline Drive and many streets in between. Be on the lookout for our (4) kids…our 2 sons will be on the streets in their super real-life Spiderman costumes, our oldest daughter will be Mal from Descendants 3 and our baby daughter will be Wonder Woman!  As we are excited, but we cannot overlook the dangers of a high traffic neighborhood and the use of golf carts with MANY children present. We have warned our kids of the dangers that exist as you can never be too careful. Happy Halloween to all of Beau Chene & Geaux Tigers!”

Chris and Lauren Parks told me that their 2 cute boys are going to be Flash and Mickey from Mickey and the Roadster racers. 

Alex Tate says, “Lucy is super excited and looks forward to going to a house down the street where she has gotten socks and a full-size Snickers bar in previous years.  My husband will dress as Willie Nelson for the millionth time and he will eat every Butterfinger he sees.”

Mark Inman commented, “Every year at Halloween we put on a pot of chili and fire up the Halloween decorations which features Susanne’s addiction to the Lemax Halloween Village on our dining room table.  The kids will trick or treat with our neighbors on Audubon and West Ruelle, which means Alston is running the streets in an all-black ninja outfit (primed for an inattentive driver’s bumper) and Lucie is dressed as a White Witch like an evil princess throughout the night.  In either case, we hope people drive carefully and use their golf carts for street driving that evening since they are slower moving vehicles. We usually make time to hit a party at one of the neighbor’s homes on West Ruelle or in a neighboring cul de sac to connect with our neighbors.”   
 

Brittany and Kenny MacMaster added, “On Halloween this year, we will be having friends and family over to our house to eat, drink, and trick or treat. Mason will be in a blow-up dinosaur costume, and Hunter will be masked as a Fortnite skeleton. While we are fortunate to live in a neighborhood that allows us to enjoy the use of golf carts, I would urge parents and kids to please be careful and take your time while traveling around the neighborhood as there are plenty of kids dressed in dark clothing enjoying the freedoms of walking the streets.  Happy Halloween to all” 

The Beau Chene Home Owners Association is grateful, humbled, and excited that so many young people have decided to raise their new families in Beau Chene, the best sub-division in Louisiana.  As the president of the Beau Chene HOA I would like to give the ceremonial keys to the neighborhood to all the costumed young kids in Beau Chene. The keys will only work on Halloween, so please use them wisely and make sure your mom and dad get a few Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.

Happy Halloween,

Doug Tate
President, Beau Chene HOA

On behalf of Beau Chene Country Club (BCCC) we are forwarding an email from Ted Smith to all residents:

We are excited to announce the First Annual Beau Chene Country Club (BCCC) Turkey Day Classic 5K Run/Walk and 1 Mile Fun Run/Walk!  The race, which is open to the public, will take place on Wednesday, November 27th and registration fees include a post-race party (located behind the club house next to our beautiful Pavilion) complete with food, drinks, music and entertainment for the entire family.

The BCCC menu will include an assortment fresh fruits and Jambalaya provided by New Orleans’ own Jambalaya Girl. Drinks provided will include bottled water, Liquid I.V. Hydration Multiplier electrolyte drink mix and freshly brewed beer supplied by North Shore native Ryan O’Donnell and Grand Derangement Brewing Company.

Entertainment includes a bounce house and face painting for the kids. BCCC has also partnered with the North Shore Food Bank of Covington to include a food drive that will benefit local residents in need. Everyone who brings 5 cans of food will be entered into a raffle to win some great Beau Chene Country Club prizes!

Cost of registration for the 1 Mile Fun Run/Walk will be $20 through October 31st, $25 through November 26th and $35 on race day.  Cost for the 5K Run/Walk will be $30 through October 31st, $35 through November 26th and $45 the day of the race.  All registrations prior to the race will be online and will include a minimal online registration fee.  A Tech Race tee will be guaranteed to the first 150 registrants. Awards for the 1 Mile Fun Run will be given to the top 1st, 2nd and 3rd place overall Male and Female racers (13 and under) and to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place age group winners (6 and under, 7 & 8, 9 & 10, 11 & 12 and 13) .

Awards for the 5K run will be given to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place male and female overall finishers and the top 3 age group winners (7 and under, 8-13, 14-19, 20-29, 30-39, etc. and 70+).  BCCC will have early packet pickup on November 26th between 3:00 and 5:00 PM at the front desk of the clubhouse and the race day registration will be between 7:00 and 8:00 AM on November 27th.  The 1 Mile Fun Run/Walk will start at 8:30 AM and the 5K Run/Walk will begin at 9:00 AM.

To sign up for the race, please go to www.Cajuntiming.com or BCCC website www.beauchenecc.com where you will find a link to the form.  The event will have a maximum of 200 runners for the 5K Run/Walk so please sign up early to secure your spot.  It is guaranteed to be a great event and an opportunity to burn off some pre-Thanksgiving Day calories!

Official site for event: https://runsignup.com/Race/LA/Mandeville/BeauCheneCountryClubTurkeyDayClassic1mileFunRunand5K

Ted Smith
Director of Agronomy
Beau Chene Country Club
ted@beauchenecc.com

The start date for the reconstruction of the Marina Entrance, on Hwy. 22 across from Franco’s Health Club, is scheduled to commence Monday, October 28th.  Demolition will start this coming Monday, October 28th.  The Security Guards have moved into the temporary guardhouse already in anticipation of the demo. The EXIT LANE will be closed all day on Monday, October 28th starting at 8:00 am until the demolition is done.  The demolition of the old guardhouse is expected to take One (1) day and then the foundation work will follow. The timeline to completion of the new guardhouse is approximately 90 days from commencement with weather permitting.  

The project also includes widening both the entrance and exit lanes to two full lanes entering and two full lanes exiting. Once the construction and roadway improvements are done the re-landscaping of the entrance median and shoulders will follow with new signage and landscape lighting.  

Other than the demo day this coming Monday, we do not anticipate any major interruption with traffic flow entering and exiting the subdivision until the roadway asphalt work commences approximately 60 days into the construction.  We will be providing updates and details regarding any traffic pattern changes in advance of those changes taking place.    

The Marina Entrance reconstruction is the last step in the first phase of our Master Plan to re-image Beau Chene. During the community-wide re-imaging workshops held in 2014, the entrances of Beau Chene, including the guard houses, were at the top of the list in need of improvements and updates.  As a result of the re-imagining meetings the BCHOA received a master plan that incorporates many items, including walking paths and lighting for street signs, in addition to the renovation of all three guardhouses and entrances.  The Board of Directors prioritized the projects based on urgency and financial costs. The renovation of the guardhouses was the first scheduled project from the master plan.   

For more information on what is happening in the community please refer to the website www.bchoa.org and our Facebook member only page at www.facebook.com/groups/BeauCheneHOA/ .   Please direct all concerns and inquiries to the BCHOA office.  Our lines of communication are open to all residents.

Sincerely,

Cristina Donovan

CAO

There is a vacancy on the Board of Directors created by a recent resignation.  Per our By-Laws (Article V, Section 6), the Board shall fill this vacancy by a vote of the majority of the remaining Directors, at their November 15, 2019 meeting.  This is a great opportunity for someone interested in becoming more involved with our Homeowners Association. The Board has six (6) regular meetings a year. The remaining term for the replacement is through May 2021.  

The following is how you can become involved:

1. If interested please send a one page Resume or Biography to my attention  at cristinad@bchoa.org by November 8, 2019.
2. The Board will be giving all interested candidates a few minutes at the  Friday, November 15th Board meeting to offer thoughts on why they wish to serve the community.
3. The Board will take into consideration all persons interested in the position and then notify the individual selected once a vote of the Board is taken.

Sincerely,

Cristina Donovan

CAO

As part of Keep St. Tammany Beautiful, the Parish has scheduled a Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day on October 26, 2019 at the Centerpoint Park and Ride, adjacent to Northshore Technical Community College located at 65556 Centerpoint Boulevard, Lacombe.

The collections will be received between the hours of 8 am to 2 pm. This collection event is for residential household hazardous waste. This event is extremely popular, and residents are reminded to expect lines.  For more information and a list of household hazardous waste items that will be accepted go to this link on the STP website: http://www.keepsttammanybeautiful.org/events.

The Beau Chene Homeowners Association’s (BCHOA) Emergency Notification System (ENS) is now activated and ready for residents to OPT-IN.  

The ENS will be utilized by the BCHOA, pursuant to an established protocol, when situations require notification to the homeowners and residents through means not sufficiently met by currently available social media postings or email notifications.  These situations will be outlined in a protocol for the ENS, and will include, but not be limited to:

• Safety concerns involving ongoing police presence in the neighborhood;
• Safety concerns involving any compromise to the BCHOA water system; 
• Any safety concerns reported to the BCHOA concerning lost children; 
• Any street outages or interruption in BCHOA services due to flooding;
• Any ordered mandatory evacuations by state or local authorities; and
• Any other situation that, as per the established protocol, requires notification to the homeowners and residents.

Who gets the ENS alerts?

Only residents of Beau Chene who have opted into the alert system will be notified by a Call or Text Message through the ENS for any matters that fall within the protocol. 

All general notices to the community about non-emergency matters will continue to be handled through the social media platforms for BCHOA on Facebook, Email, and Instagram.  Also, information may be obtained by contacting the BCHOA administration at the main office at (985) 231-6285 or email at info@bchoa.org.

How Do I OPT-IN?

To sign up for this service:  Go to the BCHOA website at this link: https://bchoa.org/information/emergency-notification-system/  

Complete the OPT-IN form to receive either a Call or Text Message.

Earlier this week we received parish building permits allowing us to begin the Marina Entrance Reconstruction Project!

Starting next week, the BCHOA and our contractor, McMath Construction, will be performing the following:

• BCHOA will be moving our temporary guardhouse building to the Marina entrance  
• BCHOA Public Works and an outside boring company will be boring and installing new water and sewer lines to the median
• Ricky Jarrell’s Tree Services will be removing a pine tree and trimming branches of a live oak tree on the entrance side of the property
• McMath Construction and Cleco will be installing a temporary power pole to provide power to the site

During the above work activities, we anticipate there may be temporary traffic delays, but both the entrance and exit will remain open. 

At this point we anticipate the demolition of the existing guardhouse could start the first week of October.  During demolition, we will have to close some lanes of traffic on a short-term basis, maybe for a few days. As of now, we plan to close the exit lanes only and keep the entrance lanes open throughout the demolition.  

Please be on the lookout for signage, e-mail, website and Facebook announcements with updates, progress reports and any traffic flow changes.

Cristina Donovan

CAO

DOUG TATE ~ BEAU CHENE LETTER TO HOMEOWNERS

JULY 24, 2019

Ben Franklin was not a resident of Beau Chene, but he sure would have loved it here.  From the sparkling yachts in the marina with their nautical American flags to the massive July 4th celebration at the Beau Chene Country Club, Ben Franklin would have loved this great American neighborhood.          

Franklin famously said that an ounce of preparation is worth a pound of cure. This quote also rings true when Louisiana finds itself in Atlantic Hurricane season. The Beau Chene HOA Board manages the books with hurricane preparation in mind.  Lance Rase, the treasurer of the Beau Chene Board, along with his finance committee manages all accounts with the thought it may be necessary to use major funds for a post hurricane clean-up.

While Hurricane Barry was a non-event, this does not mean that the Beau Chene HOA and the staff were sitting at home watching Bosch on Amazon.  Our CAO, Cristina Donovan, was on site and oversaw the major preparation pre-storm, during the storm, and post-storm.  

Beau Chene HOA Pre Storm Preparation Action Items

• BCHOA Public Works (PW) Staff inspected all community drainage ditches and culverts throughout and removed debris
• Fueled and tested all equipment (including chain saws, pumps, trackhoe, backhoe, dump truck and trailers) and generators to ensure operational status.
• Brought in and stored adequate diesel and gasoline fuel to operate equipment & generators through the storm’s potential impact
• BCHOA PWs implemented storm protocols for water and sewerage locations

Beau Chene HOA During Storm

• Public Works staff stayed on site from Friday afternoon through Sunday
• Water system (2 water wells) and wastewater system (sewer plant and 20 lift stations) closely monitored throughout the weekend to ensure operational status

• Public Works Operator, Marty Vining, stayed on-site Friday night and Saturday night monitoring all systems and roadways
• Public Works Operator, Jacob Killian, worked all day Saturday and Sunday monitoring all systems and roadways
• Asst. Dir of PW, Lindsey Adkins, was on call all weekend and on-site Saturday and Sunday at varying times
• Dave Vinson and Lindsey Adkins kept all parties involved via phone

Beau Chene HOA Tree Removal on Beau Chene Drive

• Cristina Donovan, CAO, was notified of fallen tree by a neighbor and immediately contacted on-site PW Operator, Jacob Killian.
• Jacob Killian placed “Road Closed” signage and followed on-call protocol contacting Lindsey Adkins
• Three more BCHOA PW Operators arrived within 30 minutes to assist in removal of tree – Marty Vining, Paul Hunt and Michael Flocke (main equipment operator)
• Jarrells Tree Service was called and was also able to respond quickly
• Tree removal was completed within two hours and Beau Chene Drive re-opened 

Beau Chene is a massive neighborhood, and we are very lucky to have such great employees.  We were ready for the storm, and we will be ready for the next one. On behalf of all Beau Chene homeowners, I would like to publicly thank all those who make this the best neighborhood in Louisiana.

I would also like to thank Louise Rusch, the chairwoman of the CEC, and Don Beaver with Beau Chene Country Club.  They put on a great firework display that brought together both club members and non-members and treated Beau Chene residents to an incredible celebration beneath the stately oaks.  Mark your calendars for Friday, September 27th which is the next party Louise and Don have planned.

Sincerely,

Doug Tate

President Beau Chene HOA

The Beau Chene Homeowners Association office will be closed on Thursday, July 4th for Independence Day.  We will be open regular hours 8:00 AM till 5:00 PM (closed one hour for lunch) the rest of the week.  There will be normal garbage pickups. 

For any water or sewer emergencies please call our main number at (985) 231-6285 and press #3 for Lindsey. 

For all other emergencies call the Security Guards at: 

Main Guard Gate     (985) 845-7560

East Guard Gate       (985) 845-8495

Marina Guard Gate (985) 845-7022

Enjoy a safe and happy 4th of July! 

Cristina Donovan

CAO

BEAU CHÊNE HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC.

June 21, 2019

Summer is in full swing in this great neighborhood. Kids are avoiding their summer reading and opting for sleeping late, fighting with their sister, eating the remaining Easter candy, watching YouTube, and that is just at my house. From summer camps to Destin vacations to learning how to mow the lawn, summer means something different to every resident.

The Beau Chene HOA Board has been busy with elections and preparing for the new marina entrance. At the HOA meeting on Friday June 14, 2019 the following members were elected to executive positions:
Doug Tate – President
deShea Richardson – Vice President
Lance Rase – Treasurer
Jay Whealdon – Secretary

This will be my second term as president, and I would like to thank all homeowners for allowing me to serve. I moved here 2 months before Katrina and my life has unfolded within the 3 gates of Beau Chene. My son learned how to hit a baseball in our backyard and my daughter would choose to go to the Beau Chene pool over a family trip to Austin. Professionally, I manage money for the working affluent at Benjamin F. Edwards, hold a BA in Communications and a MBA from LSU. I am married to the former Alexandra Sampedro, and have 2 children, Lucy who attends CES, and Preston who attends SPS.

deShea Richardson is the newly elected vice president of the Beau Chene Homeowners Association. She is a native of Baton Rouge where she earned multiple degrees including a law degree. She and her husband James Richardson have 3 beautiful kids JP, Constance and Charlotte. The Richardsons love this neighborhood so much, that they are on their second home in Beau Chene. deShea is a partner in the Mandeville law firm Harrison & Richardson.

Lance Rase was recently re-elected to the Beau Chene Board and continues his role as Treasurer. Lance is married to the former Erika Laughlin and they have 2 beautiful children, Abby and Nicholas. Lance is an executive with Consolidated Grain & Barge and holds an undergraduate degree from LSU and a graduate degree from Tulane. Lance is active on many boards but is most proud of chairing Crawfish Cookin for a Cause, a 501c3 charitable organization, which recently raised over $60k for families affected by catastrophic illness.

Jay Whealdon has been a board member and its corporate secretary for 7 years. Jay and his wife, Phoebe, have lived in Beau Chene for 17 years and are next door neighbors of Doug and Alex Tate. Jay has been engaged in the insurance and reinsurance industries for over 40 years. Phoebe is a full-time real estate agent with Coldwell Banker TEC. Both Jay and Phoebe are involved with business and local charitable organizations and are active members of First Baptist Covington in various capacities.

The 2019-2020 committees will be chaired by the following individuals:

Louise Rusch – Community Enhancement Committee
Paul Angelle – Environmental Control Committee
Lance Rase – Finance Committee
David Parnell – Governance/Legal Committee
Jay Whealdon – Insurance Committee
David Pesses & Neal Hennegan – Infrastructure Committee
Geoff Hingle – Security Committee
David Pesses & Louise Rusch – Liaison Committee

As we enter hurricane season, we want to remind our residents to have an evacuation plan. Additionally, our HOA balance sheet is managed with an eye on storms in the gulf. A large sum of money is kept liquid and semi-liquid in case of emergencies like Katrina. History tells us that we will take a hit from a storm within the next 5 years. We need to be financially and organizationally prepared for a hurricane.

Beau Chene is the premier neighborhood in St. Tammany Parish, and it is our responsibility to ensure it stays that way. With over 5,000 residents and over 1,500 properties, there is strength in numbers. If you have ideas, questions, concerns, comments, etc. please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,
Doug Tate
President Beau Chene HOA