Your Home Town Bulletin • January 2024
NW Landing office closed January 15
The Northwest Landing office will be closed on Monday, January 15, 2024, for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The office will reopen Tuesday, January 16, at 9 a.m.
Information for new (and longtime) residents
Are you new to Northwest Landing? Even if you have lived here for several years, you may not know who to call – Northwest Landing or City of DuPont. Whether you are an owner or renter, there is information for you on the Northwest Landing website. A Who You Gonna Call webpage includes common topics our office gets questions about. Governing documents for the association are also available without logging into the members’ portal.
Safety reminders from DuPont Police Department
‘Tis the season for porch pirates, car and garage prowlers. There have been fewer reports of package theft and car prowlers recently, but it’s important to be vigilant.
Car prowlers: Don’t leave cars unlocked and don’t start your car to warm it up in the morning, unless you stay in it. There have been many reports in our area of vehicles stolen where the thief simply broke a window. Also don’t keep valuables or garage door openers in your vehicle. Don’t leave your garage door open and make sure the pedestrian door to the garage is locked.
Porch pirates: Check with your neighbors before reporting a package theft. It may have been misdelivered to your neighbor. If you cannot be home when a package is scheduled to be delivered, consider using a package-receiving service. Amazon, for example, offers lockers where you can pick up an order. In DuPont, the lockers are at the 76 gas station on the corner of Wilmington and Barksdale. You can also require a signature with delivery. Report stolen packages to the non-emergency DPD phone and contact the shipper.
- To report an emergency, dial 9-1-1
- To report a non-emergency, dial 253-287-4455
- If you have non-urgent questions, suggestions, want to file a complaint or commend a DuPont Police staff member, email or call 253-964-7060.
Keep our firefighters safe – don’t park in front of hydrants
‘Tis also the season for fires – we’re cooking a lot more, we burn more candles, we overload electrical outlets. Make sure our firefighters have access to fire hydrants! Washington state law requires vehicles to be parked no closer than 15 feet from a fire hydrant. DuPont Police have had several reports from residents, and will ticket and possibly tow any vehicles parked by hydrants.
Winter Maintenance – check fences, roofs, siding
Many of the fences in Northwest Landing were built 15 or more years ago. For wood fences, now’s the time to plan to repair or replace fences. Get estimates from contractors and plan for construction in spring. You will also need to submit your construction plan to the NW Landing Property Improvement Committee.
Winter is also when to inspect your roof and siding for moss and mold. Moss also grows on sidewalks and can make them slippery. Moss treatment can be done any time of year, but most cleaning services recommend early spring.
More information can be found at Architectural Digest and Oregon State University Extension Service.
Holiday Reminders from Santa and Mr. Grinch
Winter holiday decor and lights should be taken down and put away by January 25, 2024. Fresh Christmas trees can be cut in pieces small enough to fit in your yard-waste container. Very large trees can be taken to one of the landfills nearby: Tacoma or Lacey.
Please don’t dispose of cut trees and greenery in our woods. All of the woodland areas are either federal property (wildlife refuge) or city property.
< Photo from the ROA “Sounds of the Season” event on December 16.
Can’t remember when recycling and yard waste is picked up? You can look it up on the LeMay Pierce County Refuse website. Better yet – download the LeMay phone app and the company will send you reminders.
ROA Meetings
Board of Directors – 5:30 p.m. – online via Zoom
Wednesday, January 24, 2024
Members are welcome to attend Board meetings but must make a reservation by January 17, 2024. Call 253-964-1289. Meetings are held on Zoom.
Annual Meeting – All Homeowners – 6 p.m. – April 24 – Best Western/Liberty Inn
Property Improvement Committee – 5:30 p.m. – 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month
NOTE: Meeting dates are subject to change. Check the calendar on the homeowner’s portal. This committee reviews all exterior modifications, including painting, roofing, adding central air conditioning or solar panels, fences, sheds, patios, patio covers, decks, landscape renovations, adding or removing trees. Some projects may also require a city permit. Project forms can be downloaded from the homeowner’s portal on the website.
City of DuPont Events
Sign up for city news
You can sign up for city email lists on a variety of topics including parks and recreation, public works, and city council news. Sign up for City of DuPont newsletters and alerts here
Senior Lunch & Movie • Tuesday • January 16, 2024 • 10:30 am
Cost is $10 plus tax, choice of several movies at Regal Martin Village Theaters in Lacey.
Teen Night Out • Friday • January 19, 2024 • 6:45-8:15 p.m. • DuPont Community Center
Minute to Win It – Race the clock in these fast-paced games, have some laughs, dinner and maybe win some prizes! Ages 13-18. $10 per teen (price includes dinner). Registration closes January 16.
New Year’s Senior Luncheon • Friday • January 26, 2024 • 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. • DuPont Community Center
Celebrate the New Year with us! Join us for lunch, warm by drink and new friendships! RSVP at 253-964-8121. Cost is $10 at the door.
Buffalo Soldiers: Fighting on Two Fronts • Sunday • February 4 • 4 p.m. Eagle’s Pride Golf Course
Film screening + Q&A with filmmaker Dru Holley
Nature and People Photography Classes
DuPont Parks & Recreation is sponsoring two classes – nature photography and people photography – taught by Northwest Landing residents and professional photographers Lynsey Strader and Kate Lynch.
Three in-person sessions for each class will be held at DuPont City Hall on Saturday, January 20 and 27, and February 10. A field trip for both classes is planned for February 3. Details here.
Dear ROA,
Many of my neighbors park on the street rather than in their garage or driveway. One of my neighbors parks right in front of my house, so when I have friends over, they have to park a block away. This same neighbor has several vehicles. Can the ROA do anything?
- Trying to find parking
Parking personal or commercial vehicles, recreational vehicles, mobile homes, boats or other watercraft, stored or inoperable vehicles, unlicensed vehicles, trailers, or other oversized vehicles in places other than designated parking areas or in enclosed garages is prohibited. This prohibition includes parking on front, side, back yards, or in alleys. Homeowners are allowed to temporarily park RVs, ATVs, boats, and trailers in their driveway for no more than 12 hours for the purpose of loading, unloading, and cleaning. Vehicles must fit on the driveway pad without overlapping onto the sidewalk. The City of DuPont allows RVs, boats, trailers, and other watercraft to park on city streets for up to 4 hours. The city will grant a temporary permit to park these vehicles for up to 72 hours. Sign up here for City of DuPont temporary parking permit.
Winter flowers and hummingbirds
One of the pluses of our dark winter here in Washington is the number of flowering plants that can brighten gray days. And some of them are also attractive to hummingbirds. If you are new to the state, you may not know that Anna’s hummingbirds stay in western Washington all year. They have gradually moved as far north as British Columbia.
Female Anna’s hummingbird feeding on rosemary, which often blooms through the winter months here. >
Some of the flowering plants that are hummer-friendly include witch hazel, rosemary, camelia, mahonia/Oregon grape, viburnum, and daphne. Hummingbirds especially love salvia or sage. Many sage plants will bloom from spring through December, unless there is a hard freeze. Rufous hummingbirds migrate here in early March and stay through September. They are attracted to early spring blooms that include native salmonberry, Oregon grape, red-flowering currant, and madrona. The Washington State University Extension Service publishes an extensive list of blooming winter plants. Audubon Society has an online guide to native plants for your garden that attract all kinds of birds.
In winter, change hummingbird food every 5-7 days. In warmer weather, it should be changed more frequently – sometimes daily in hot weather. It’s not necessary to add red dye or boil the sugar-water nectar. Use plain white sugar – not raw, organic or honey sugars. Honey can cause a fatal fungus infection in hummingbirds. Organic sugar has a low level of iron and has caused a toxic reaction in hummingbirds. Generally, sugar water doesn’t freeze until temperatures reach 28 degrees F. For extended freezes, you can bring feeders indoors at night (but put them out before dawn). There are heated feeders on the market and some people have success with Christmas lights wrapped around the feeder or a handwarmer taped to it. Smithsonian Institute National Zoo hummingbird food recipe
Do you have pics of winter-blooming plants and/or hummingbirds in winter that you’d like to share with your neighbors in the bulletin? Email them to
If you have suggestions about plants and plant care for the bulletin, email