We had a great turn out for the October 24 Octoberfest. Ted and Beverly Breitman provided a great location to unfold our lawn chairs and spend time with folks we do not see very often. About 60 residents/owners from all over the Chesapeake Station Community attended. Lots of decorated tables dotted the Breitman’s yard as we visited with each other, ate great food and got to know new neighbors. Table decorations were pumpkins filled with fresh cut flowers discovered and brought by Charlie Pritchard. These arrangements were sold to help defray the cost of the OctoberFest.Our grand grill master was Mike Schmidt! Penny Schmidt served as grill master assistant and connoisseur of fine hot dogs, bratwurst and sausages. Delicious side dishes and desserts were provided by attendees. Thank you for sharing your cooking talents! A drawing for “Some Silly -Some Practical” gifts was sponsored by Shirley Bealor and Elizabeth Henderson.Special guests at our Octoberfest were Paul Woodburn, Town Engineer and two of Chesapeake Beach’s finest, Deputy Sheriff Corporal Thomas Phelps and F/Sgt Ronald Naughton. It was great to meet these folks, ask questions and get to know them socially. We especially want to take the opportunity to thank Paul Woodburn for all of the help, service and advice he has given our community. His help has saved us hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. Deputy Sheriff Corporal Thomas Phelps and First Sgt. Ronald Naughton serve us well every day along with other officers from Calvert County. Among other things, they reminded us to keep the doors of our parked cars locked, and to remove any valuables or to keep them out of sight to prevent thefts.Thanks to Charlie Pritchard, Heidi Daniels, Pam Johnson and Richard Sherman, our social committee, for coordinating the event.Thank you to everyone who helped to make this a great community event!
Please remember that you must get prior approval from the Architecture Committee for any work planned to be done to your home and deck. This includes new siding or repair to siding, new roof/roof repair, new deck or any repair to the deck, additions/removals, painting, new windows/doors, new or repairs to fenced in areas, driveway repair or replacement, just to name a few scenarios.All requests for approval go directly to Penny Schmidt, Chair of the Architecture Committee. Please do not send requests to Board Members. Penny can be contacted at 410-474-2802.
To Honor Our Vets Every Day
America’s veterans are some of our nation’s bravest, hardest working men and women. However – it is hard to show them the appreciation they deserve when back home, and out of uniform they’re more camouflaged than ever. GREENLIGHT A VET is a campaign to establish national support for our veterans by changing one exterior light to GREEN.
9th Annual Pat Carpenter Holiday Parade
On Saturday, December 5th, the merchants and communities of Chesapeake Beach and North Beach will hold the 9th Annual Holiday Parade. This is a great time for you to support your community and have a lot of fun! Build a float, ride in a convertible, walk, march or simply enjoy the parade by attending. Santa will visit with children and their families and will provide Christmas treats to all who attend.
The parade route will begin at noon at the corner of 1st Street and Bay Avenue in North Beach. Parade staging will be at 11:00 along 1st Street along Dayton Avenue. The parade concludes at 7th Street and Bay at approximately 1:00 pm. Parade check-in is at 7th Street and Chesapeake Avenue.
Chesapeake Station has been invited to participate. So if you would like to represent the HOA in this event and organize community participation with a float or walking group, contact CSHOA member-at-large, Charlie Pritchard. There may be some funding available for your entry.
Deadline for parade participation: November 20.
Practice Safety for Yourself … and For Your Neighbors.
Each member of the Chesapeake Station Homeowners Association Board has a goal to provide timely and useful safety information and home care reminders that may be particularly suited to our community and/or season. Since our community consists of many attached houses, fire, termites, and improper storm water control can easily impact neighbors and should stay high on the list of each HOA homeowner. Please take responsible steps to protect your home and the home of your next door neighbor.
With winter on the way we are already relying on furnaces, space heaters, and fireplaces to keep our homes warm. So this is a great time to think about and take steps to improve the fire safety of your home. Below are ten fire safety tips from the National Fire Prevention Association. How many of these safety precautions do you practice? Your answer should be, “All 10!”
Have your furnace inspected and serviced by a qualified professional each year.
Have chimneys and vents cleaned and inspected annually by a qualified professional.
For wood fireplaces and wood stoves, only use dry, seasoned wood.
Always use a metal or heat-tempered glass fireplace screen when using fireplace.
Use a covered metal container to dispose of cooled ashes.
Keep children at least 3 feet away from the fireplace, wood/pellet stove, oil stove or other space heaters.
Be sure all portable space heaters have automatic shut-off.
Plug portable space heaters directly into wall outlet and place it at least 3 feet away from anything that can burn (i.e., bedding, paper, walls, etc.)
Do not leave portable heaters unattended.
Test your smoke alarms/carbon monoxide detectors and be sure they work; replace batteries or entire smoke alarms as necessary.
Smoke Alarm Tips from The National Fire Prevention Association
Roughly 3 out of 5 fire deaths occur in homes with no fire alarms or the alarms are not working. What should you do?
Install smoke alarms inside and outside each bedroom/sleeping area. Install alarms on every level of home.
Test all smoke alarms at least once per month.
There are two types of smoke alarms. You should have both in your home.
Ionization smoke alarms — are quicker to detect and warn about flaming fires.
Photoelectric smoke alarms — are quicker to detect and warn about smoldering fires.
Smoke alarms should be located on ceiling or high on the wall. Keep them at least 10 feet from the kitchen stove to reduce false alarms during cooking.
When shopping for alarms know that there are smoke alarms that have strobe lights and bed shakers for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Replace all smoke alarms before they are 10 years old.
Change alarm batteries at least every six months!
Is the exterior of your home ready for winter?
Here are some simple, necessary things to do to the outside of your home to prepare for winter and snow:
Disconnect the garden hose(s) from the house. Empty the hose(s) of all water, roll them up and store them for the winter. You’re not finished with the water until you go to the basement and turn off the outside water spigot. The final step is to go outside to the spigot and open it, like you are turning it on. This permits condensation to dribble out and prevents burst pipes ($$$).
Dig out your snow shovel and find a nice, convenient place for it. There is nothing more frustrating than to wake up, see 6” of snow and not remember when the shovel is. A few minutes of preparation is all you need.
Remember, you are responsible for clearing snow from your drive and sidewalks. Also, make sure entrances to your house are free and cleared of snow/ice. If you buy ice melt make sure the box tells you the product is friendly toward pets and your concrete. Some products will “pit” your driveway. Some irritate pet paws.
Empty your bird bath and anything else that may hold water. Flip them over to avoid cracks.
Termite Safety
Chesapeake Beach is a great place to live for us and, unfortunately for termites. Ask your neighbors about termites and chances are one has had to hire professional to get rid of the little critters.
Wiki How tells us that termites live in colonies and feed on the cellulose in wood. They perform a vital function in nature, however once termites move into your house, they can cause significant damage both structurally and financially. If termites enter your house, you should eliminate them as soon as possible. Effective termite programs involve three steps: Identification, Elimination, and Prevention.
Identify the termites who are invading your house. The most common termite infestations are perpetuated by subterranean termites, however drywood termites and damp wood termites can also cause infestations.
Termites are hard to fight. You can’t just spray once and they are gone. Hire a licensed professional if you feel your infestation is beyond your capacity to control.
Prevent further infestations.
Eliminate any wood to ground contact.
Eliminate wood debris such as fallen tree branches, firewood stacks, or any dead wood in contact with ground as these will attract termites and put your home at risk.
Treat wood with a product such as Bora care. Boracare provides long lasting protection, and can be sprayed on both wood and concrete to prevent termite activity. Again, it is best to have a professional determine this course of action.
You might want to ask the profession about Permethrin. Permethrin is a safe pesticide, permitted for use on humans by USFDA and European Medicines Agency. Mixing Permethrin in the paint or polish prevents termite attacks permanently. Moreover, since the Permethrin is embedded in the paint, there is no risk of long term exposure or inhalation. You can also mix Permethrin in the glue while laying wooden flooring or in the mortar while laying stone (marble, granite) flooring. The dosage is 0.1% of the paint (10 mL Permethrin per liter of paint/polish/glue/mortar). Only use pharmaceutical grade Permethrin (VAV, Dow) approved from human use and not farm grade Permethrin intended for cattle.
Keep firewood away from the house and deck.
News from our Social Committee – Christmas Caroling!
Rekindling a CSHOA tradition for years, we will be caroling this year on December 12th about 3 o’clock. Practice your favorite Christmas songs and be ready to sing along!
Save the date so you can sing or listen when we walk through Chesapeake Station!
More details to come.
Lost Cat Needs to be Found
Nancy the Cat is missing from 7784 Dentzel Court. She is small, solid black with a collar, very friendly and answers to her name. Please call 703-405-5111 should Nancy by visiting or passing your home.
Reminder to all CSHOA dogs
When you take your owner for a walk, please make sure she/he remembers to bring a plastic bag to clean up after you.
Also, make sure you have your current vaccinations and are wearing a (current year) Calvert County license.
Woof!
Is your Deck Safe?
Did you know that 4”x4” deck supports are no longer up to code. Many of these are old and do not provide sufficient support. Additionally, many old decks may not be attached properly to the home. If you are considering replacement of your old deck, contact Penny Schmidt, CSHOA Architecture Chair.
CSHOA Website (www.ChesapeakeStationHOA.org)
The place to go for information about the community, including CSHOA governing documents, Architectural Change Request form, Beach rules, past newsletters, past Board meeting minutes, and more.
Attachments to this newsletter:
Minutes from Board Meeting, October 5, 2015
Minutes from Annual Meeting, September 12, 2016 (DRAFT)
October 5, 2015
Call to Order: The meeting was called to order at 7:02 pm
All Board members were present. Mary Mathis and Pam Johnson (Chair, Grounds Committee) were also in attendance.
Approval of Previous Meeting Minutes: The minutes from the August 3, 2015 and September 12, 2015 meetings were submitted and approved as written.
The Board decided on Board positions for 2015-2016:
** Moved by Roland and seconded by Paul, and approved by 5:0 by the Board, the officer positions for 2015-16 will be:
President: Keith Pardieck
Vice president Paul Doherty
Treasurer Roland Schlehuber
Secretary Elizabeth Henderson
At-Large Charles Pritchard
Meeting Rules: Keith declared that this Board would be operated using as a guide, Robert’s Rules of Order, current revision.
Treasurer’s Report: Roland provided a financial update.
Committee Reports:
Architectural Committee:
On behalf of (chair) Penny Schmidt, Charlie provided an update.
Board discussion resulted in a request that The Architectural Committee provide the Board and ongoing list of those owner requests for architecture changes.
Further discussion regarded a storm drain easement outside the south deck post of a house on Bandshell. Owner wants a bump out for his porch and deck. His property is part of the storm drain easement. The storm drain has settlement but no cracks in it. No board action required.
Discussion: Land records office: Is the land behind the townhouses and bordering the shopping center road ours? Or does it belong to the shopping center? This is still a question.
Social Committee: Charlie Pritchard provided update.
Our Octoberfest will be on October 24 2:00pm Dentzel Court (Breitman home)
Pam Johnson, Richard Sherman, Heidi Daniels and Charlie Pritchard are the committee. An email will be sent by Elizabeth to the community by 10/12. Signs will be displayed by 10/9. Flyers will be distributed to each house by 10/14.
Beach Committee: Ed Solkowski could not attend. Keith reported on beach status.
Ed will be invited to the next meeting to provide an update.
Grounds Committee: Pam Johnson – tree report. Recommendation is to keep trees behind H. Daniels’ house intact. Trees are healthy.
Old Business:
1) Roland reported on the status of new CD’s.
2) Paul reported that a draft of Resolution 3 is awaiting our attorney’s comments. These comments are long overdue. Keith will check on the reason why the delay.
New Business:
1) Review and discussion of Board goals for this administrative year, in addition to legally mandated duties. Goals discussed include:
Completion of resolution 3 revision.
Completion of transfer of funds to new higher yielding CD’s
New web master/hosting to save money. CSHOA member has volunteered to host and make modifications for our website. We will invite her to next Board meeting to discuss.
Formalize tree trim/removal incentive policy for safety and view issues
Safety newsletter issues will come out in November.
Organize fire safety event
Quarterly newsletter published on website and sent via US mail to each resident/owner.
Annual Community Beautification/clean-up Day (early April) followed by beautification inspection (request committee members)
Decide on next step for Beach Committee.
Developing strategy to address most egregious, and lingering property upkeep issues.
2) Renter who is dumping trash on the deck of the house. The owner of this house will be notified by Keith regarding the behavior of the renter. Corrective action must be immediate.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:20.
Respectfully submitted by Elizabeth Henderson, secretary
** Double asterisks indicate official action taken by the Board. A motion and vote.
Addenda:
**Minutes were read by the secretary at the November 2, 2015 Board meeting. Corrections were made. A motion was made by Paul and seconded by Charlie to approved the minutes as corrected. The motion was approved by a 4:0 vote.
**An electronic motion was made to approve expenditure to remove a tree and vines from land that is part of our community border. The motion passed 3 (Doherty, Henderson, Schlehuber) for and 1 (Pritchard) against.
DRAFT — Annual Membership Meeting Minutes — DRAFT
September 12, 2015
Call to Order & Introductions
President, Keith Pardieck called the meeting to order at 10:15am, noting that a
quorum had been achieved. All attending were welcomed and new members
attending for the first time, Diane and Gary Moll and Beverly McCarry (spelling?)
were acknowledged. Current 2014/15 Board Members were introduced. A motion
was made and passed to approve the September 13, 2014 minutes as submitted
by the Secretary.
Financial Report
Treasurer, Roland Schlehuber, summarized the 2014 year-end and 2015 to-date
financial status of the Association as well as the 2016 budget recommendation.
He explained the various income/expense categories, reviewed the existing
contracts and balance sheets, and explained the 2013 Mason and Mason review
of the reserve fund. In summary it was noted that the community continues to be
in good financial shape. With a cost of living increase of less than one percent for
the pat year, there is no recommendation to increase the assessment at this
time. A motion was made and passed to accept the projected 2016 budget.
Roland noted that all financial reports are available to review and anyone
interested in that, or the treasurer’s role in general, should contact him directly.
Acknowledgements
Keith noted the passing of long-time resident, Steven White.
Architectural Committee
Chairperson, Penny Schmidt, reported that during the past year approximately 12
– 15 applications for architectural change had been or were in the process of
review. In response to floor questions, Penny reviewed the current roof colors,
policy on tree growth and trimming, and procedures for dealing with Covenant
violations. She noted that the Architectural Committee appreciates notification,
preferably in writing, from members regarding apparent Covenant violations.
Penny reported that Resolution 3, dealing with architectural change
requirements, was currently being revised to include clearer language, as well as
new color and material information. In response to floor questions, Keith added
that the re-write would be distributed for member review and suggestions prior to
being finalized.
Grounds Committee
Chairperson, Pam Johnson, acknowledged the contribution of her committee
members, Kathy Scott and Ana DiNapoli. She noted the new trees planted in the
Glen had survived the winter cold and summer heat and were doing well, the
drain and sidewalk issue on Carousel Ct. has been dealt with successfully and a
problematic manhole near the Overlook has been raised to ground level. Pam
acknowledged the help of the town engineer, Paul Woodburn, in addressing the
latter two projects. Pam also acknowledged a recent completion of a treetrimming
project, which impacted both private property and common ground. The
job was completed with both the homeowner and association sharing the
expense.
Social
Keith noted that the social committee is currently inactive and look for both a
Chairperson and committee members. Charlie Pritchard announced that he and
Heidi Daniels were going to organize an Oktoberfest 2015, date yet to be
decided, but probably sometime in October. Anyone wishing to help with that
should contact Charlie directly.
Beach Advisory Committee
Chairperson, Ed Solkowski, reviewed the current information the committee has
gathered on protecting against beach erosion. He noted that efforts so far have
all been advised that a complete analysis and plan proposal would be necessary
as a first step. Such a plan would cost several thousand dollars in and of itself
with no guarantee that a viable solution could be offered. He asked the
membership to recognize that any step forward at this point is going to require
the association to take on a capital expenditure of several thousand dollars at the
outset with the possibility of tens of thousands or even more to move forward.
Commodore Report
Sven Thulin, our member-in-charge of the boat racks, reported that he needs
interested parties to take over the responsibility of managing the boat racks. Also
persons with boats they no longer use need to make arrangements to remove
their boats from the racks. Anyone who wants to assist Sven with the boat racks
should contact him or any Board member.
Election
Keith introduced the persons running for election to the 2015/16 Board of
Directors: Paul Doherty, Elizabeth Henderson, Keith Pardieck, Charlie Pritchard
and Roland Schlehuber. Ballot voting was held and the results counted and
submitted by Krysti Cain of Summit Management. The five member Board for
2015/16 will be Paul Doherty, Elizabeth Henderson, Keith Pardieck, Charlie
Pritchard and Roland Schlehuber.
Meeting adjourned at 11:40am.
Respectfully submitted by (outgoing) Secretary Diane Halvorsen
Chesapeake Station Home Owners Association Board and Chairs 2015-2016
President Keith Pardieck
Vice Pres. Paul Doherty
Treasurer Roland Schlehuber
Secretary Elizabeth Henderson
At Large Charlie Pritchard