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STRAUS PARK NEWSLETTER
October, 2006
Please be advised that the newsletter is not updated after it is published - if you want the current dates for scheduled events click on the monthly calendar link.
Master Association – August 15th Meeting
The Master Association August action items were ratified during the September meeting. (Since the minutes are legal documents, they cannot be published until after they have been ratified, which occurs at the following month’s meeting.) The following are the results of those action items:
• Treasurer, Jack Lockett, stated that 55% of the budget had been spent during the first 6 months of the year, & 64% during the last month due to one-time expenditures such as the replacement of trees, etc. Mr. Lockett noted that the Board had received a check in the amount of $1,700 from William McKee toward the road repairs.
• Nina Shippen, Co-chairman of the Beautification Committee, reported that bio-net had been placed on the tennis court bank to stop the erosion, but recommended forming a “dry creek bed” with rocks at the end of the bank and adding plantings to stop the undercutting. Ms Shippen stated that: she would have a request prepared for the next Board meeting containing the cost to treat the hemlocks; she would plant the materials to screen the pump house in early September. Co-chairman, John Kerlin reminded the Board that there are still five shrubs in front of the Lake House that need to be replaced.
• President Neumann directed the Recording Secretary to send electronic copies of the revised Bylaws & Covenants to all Board members. A work session of the Board will be held in October to review the suggested revisions & to make any changes or additions.
• Adrienne Fiedler reported that the plans for the SP directory are nearing completion. The database (directory) will be accessible only through all of the sub-associations’ areas, which will be password-protected.
• President Neumann directed that each sub-association President present a volunteer to serve on the Welcoming Committee.
•After a presentation by Paula Elliott on the problems caused by the feces of the Canada geese around the lake & adjacent areas, John Fredley moved to place string on stakes around the lake at an appropriate height to make it difficult for the geese to take off after landing on the lake. Motion carried.
• Vice President, Rick Taylor, reported on the meeting of William McKee & our committee composed of Mr. Taylor, David Calhoun, Richard Carney, Bob Masengill, & Bob Maxwell. After much discussion, the Board requested that President Neumann respond by letter to the negative response from William McKee to an email sent by Rick Taylor.
• The Board moved to have President Neumann request that the city remove the second water meter that the city installed when the pool was put in.
• Volunteers were requested from the Board to help Treasurer Lockett & President Neumann begin work on the budget for the following year. Emails will be sent to committee chairpersons asking for their budget requests.
• Scott McCall of IPM was directed to instruct Cathey’s Creek Electric to begin replacing street light bulbs with lower wattage bulbs in future.
• President Neumann directed Scott McCall to request that the city put up “dead end” or “no outlet” signs at Trailside Court after residents complained that sightseers were using the court as a turn-around.
Rick Taylor resigned as Vice President of the SPMA Board on Thursday, August 17th. Since he also resigned as President of the Mountain Park Association, Nina Shippen has taken his place as President of that association & as a Director of the SPMA Board. An election will be held by the SPMA Board in October to fill the position of Vice President.
Calendar of October Activities
• Women’s Bridge – Thursday, October 5th & 19th - 1:00 PM
• Pot Luck Dinner – Sunday, October 8th – 6:00
• Women’s Book Club – Monday, October 16th – 1:00 PM
• Master Association Board Meeting – Thursday, October 19th – 4:00 PM
• SP Car Rallye – Saturday, October 21st – 1:30 PM
• ECC Meeting – Thursday, October 26th – 10:00 AM
• Couples Bridge – Friday, October 20th – 7:00 PM
Pot Luck Dinner
This month’s Pot Luck Group dinner was hosted by Stan Jacobson & Vickie Johnson, Lloyd & Mary Kathryn Fisher, & Betty Hughes at the Lake House on Sunday, October 8th at 6:00 PM. The entree was pork loin with apple chutney.
Women’s Book Club
At 1:00PM on Monday, October 16th, at the Lake House, Janet Taylor will lead the Women’s Book Club in a discussion of “The Weight of Water” by Anita Shreve. This book is available in paperback at Highland Books at a 10% discount for book club members, as always.
Couples Bridge
Jack & Reed Parker will host this month’s Couples Bridge at the Lake House.
Straus Park 2nd Annual Car Rallye
It’s not too late to sign up for the car rallye if you haven’t already done so. In case of rain or fog, the rallye will be held on Sunday, October 22 beginning at 1:30 PM at the Lake House. Check the complete details on strauspark.org under the “Calendars” area. On the October calendar, either click “INFO” on the date of the 21st to see Dave Calhoun’s announcement, or “scroll down for INFO” as directed at the top of the October calendar page.
Market Street Update
Building #4, totaling 15,700 square feet, has been completed, with the exception of some minor punch list items. Straus Park Landscaping has been busy this last week planting shrubs & laying sod, & will have all of the landscaping completed in the next month. Brevard Travel & Straus Park Realty hope to open their doors by the end of the month with the other businesses to follow soon.
strauspark.org Update
The long awaited Straus Park Directory will soon be a reality. The directory will be accessed ONLY through any & all of the sub-associations’ areas on strauspark.org. These areas will then become password protected. We would like to publish names, addresses, phone #’s, email addresses, lot #’s, & “seasonal” information, where applicable. The information to be published will be at the discretion of the property owner only. To this end, please send your information to me, Adrienne Fiedler, at m81babe@earthlink.net. You will not be included in the directory if you do not send your info. The webmaster will publish the directory as a database, so that you may easily print a paper copy if you choose. If you have any questions about the directory, you may phone me at 828-884-4337. Please forward ideas & recommendations for the website to the webmaster, harryfiedler@earthlink.net.
Volunteers for Welcoming Committee
If you would like to be the representative for your sub-association on the Welcoming Committee, please call me at 884-4337 or call your sub-association President.
Hemlock Treatment
The Master Association Board will be having all of the large hemlocks in the common areas of Straus Park treated for the wooly adelgid by the end of October. Since this aphid-like insect spreads from tree to tree, it is vital that we each take responsibility for treating the hemlocks on our own private property. Please go to the following web page for a picture of the wooly adelgid & info on this serious pest which is slowly killing our trees:
http://www.dnr.state.md.us/forests/healthreport/other.html
The tree company which will be doing this treatment would probably give us all a group rate if we have the treatments done on all our trees on the day (or days) they are here in Straus Park. If you are interested in having your trees treated, contact me at m81babe@earthlink.net or by phone at 884-4337. I strongly urge everyone to participate to save these wonderful old trees.
If you have any changes, additional information, or corrections for the newsletter, please contact the author, Adrienne Fiedler, at 884-4337 or at m81babe@earthlink.net. Thanks for your help.
