fallsgrove Nov07_2.indd

Transcription

Vol 5 Issue 6
November 2007
The fall season is well underway and
there is a lot of activity in Fallsgrove.
But before diving into it, the POA
wants to congratulate Kacey Ma,
who has recently stepped down from
her POA board
seat representing
Post Fallsgrove
and Camden
Apartments, to
become a mom
and give our
sincere and well
Steve Nesbit
deserved thanks
for her service to our community.
Those that have attended POA
meetings or who reside at Post
Fallsgrove know that Kacey is an
amazing person who has continually
contributed to our community. We
hope she will return to the board at
some time in the future and we wish
her and her family well. The next
representative from the apartment
community will have very large
shoes to fill.
In this issue, the following Board
activities will be discussed: 1)
New Community Senior Manager;
2) Landscaping; 3) Fallsgrove
Council of Presidents; 4) Fallsgrove
Candidates Forum at Lakewood
for City of Rockville Mayoral and
Council Candidates; 5) Doggy
Yappy Hour; 6) Halloween Parade;
Fallsgrove Begins a New Era
On October 20, 2007, beneath an azure sky and surrounded by the crisp
colors of fall, our community witnessed an exciting enhancement to our
lifestyle. Introduced by Mayor Giammo as special monuments to the City’s
commitment to improving the quality of Rockville life, Mayor Giammo
recognized the hard work of City Staff in developing and bringing these
lifestyle improvements to fruition. And, during the groundbreaking ceremony
for the new Community Center and the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the
Sister City Friendship Bicycle Bridge, he hailed the cooperation among
Federal, State, County and City partners who worked so diligently to bring
this day to the doorstep of our neighborhood.
Continued on page 9
Continued on page 2
Return Address
Swim Team News . . . . . . . . . 3
Yappy Hour Photos . . . . . . . 4
Real Estate Listings . . . . . . . 5
Safety Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
It’s For Your Health . . . . . . . 8
Just Wired . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Halloween Parade Photos 16
courtesy of Arthur Goldberg
President’s Corner
From the Rec Board . . . . . . 18
Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
HOA Minutes . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
POA Minutes . . . . . . . . . 22-24
Council of Presidents . . . . 23
Word Find . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Advertising Information . . 27
Visit Your Fallsgrove Community Web Site: www.atFallsgrove.com
The Fallsgrove Property Owners Association
400 Casey Lane
Rockville MD 20850
NON-PROFIT
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
Dulles, VA
Permit No. 163
PAGE 2
• INSIDE FALLSGROVE • November 2007
President’s Corner
Continued from page 1
7) Candy Buy Back Program.
Staci Gelfound will be transitioning into Mark Keenan’s current
area management role becoming Fallsgrove’s senior property
manager over the coming weeks. Armstrong has worked
closely with each Fallsgrove association which it provides
services to ensure a smooth transition. Mark is migrating into
a new position leading various support teams at Armstrong’s
corporate offices. Staci comes very well qualified with 18
years experience in the property management field. She is
a past President of CAI and currently is a Commissioner for
Montgomery County Commission on Common Ownership
Communities. Staci will be an Area Manager in Maryland and
will take over management of those associations currently
under contract with Armstrong. Staci has already begun the
transition process and has already contributed heavily at the
October POA board of directors meeting. We welcome Staci
and look forward to working together.
As promised, landscaping activities have already started by the
time you are reading this. Darnestown road has approximately
100 dead trees and shrubs that are being replaced. Additional
plant replacements are being done along Shady Grove Road
parallel to Post Fallsgrove and Lerner has replaced dead and
missing material parallel to the Shopping Center along Shady
Grove Road. The POA is also replacing inkberry bushes in the
median strips along Fallsgrove Drive.
Fall flowers have been planted in both existing and new beds at
every entrance to the community including Darnestown Road
and in many of the median strips along Fallsgrove Boulevard
and Fallsgrove Drive.
Overall, this was a very large initiative and I would like to thank
all involved for their support in reaching this significant milestone
for our community. Since this is the first comprehensive flower
installation, the POA is interested in receiving community
feedback. Too many flowers? Not enough? Different variety,
etc... In ongoing attempts to solicit broader participation at the
monthly POA meetings, please come and give us your feedback
to help us fine tune our planning.
On a final landscaping note, the POA along with several of
the Fallsgrove HOA’s have released RFP’s containing refined
specifications. Together we will review the incoming bids and
work to select the best vendor(s) to support the community.
The awarded contracts will go into effect in 2008.
In September, the POA sponsored the first Annual Fallsgrove
Council of Presidents meeting. See page 23 for additional
information.
On Saturday, October 13th, the Doggy Yappy Hour was held
at the Village Green park in front of our clubhouse. Aubrey
Bursch has pretty much single handedly planned, coordinated
and managed this event for the past several years and the
POA is very proud to sponsor it. There are pictures and further
coverage of this event on page 4.
On October 16th, the Fallsgrove POA-sponsored City of
Rockville Mayoral and Council Candidates Forum was held
and we want to thank the Fallsgrove residents, candidates
and other community residents for attending and making
this so successful. Special thanks to Paul Love for chairing
and leading this event for the association and of course
to Lakewood Country Club for providing such a wonderful
venue for the event.
On Wednesday, October 31st, the Annual Fallsgrove Halloween
Parade again brought out the masses of children, parents and
grandparents as the children with their wonderful costumes
paraded around the community led by City of Rockville Police
car. This event has been a mainstay of Fallsgrove since
the beginning and the POA is very proud to sponsor Debra
Feldman’s continued community service in planning, developing
and managing this event every year.
A new event this year was held on November 1st at the
clubhouse. Dr. G’s Candy Buy Back, which was jointly
sponsored by the Fallsgrove POA and the Fallsgrove Recreation
Association. This first annual event promotes the health and
wellbeing of not only the children of the community, but also the
parents who end up nibbling on the kids’ Halloween haul, by
buying back the candy. The community should be very proud
to participate in this program. The program collected over
500 lbs of candy to be sent to our troops, of which Fallsgrove
contributed almost 100 lbs.
The POA is committed to ensuring Fallsgrove is a premier
community and we are continually working in many ways to
accomplish this mission. Promoting safety and well being of
our residents, families, and children; Working with community
leaders to promote unity, cooperation and understanding.
Working to ensure that the community looks its best; sponsoring
community-wide events, promoting civic involvement and
responsibility and providing and promoting appropriate member
services.
Fallsgrove is a great and diverse community that has been
growing and defining itself for just over 5 years. While
sometimes it feels like a long time, in reality we’ve come a
long way, and achieved much in a relatively short time. Please
join in our efforts. The October board of directors meeting
was very informative for the community and the board, with
a record turnout. I want to thank Chief Treschuk on behalf of
the community for the department’s support of our community
and our efforts to inform and increase awareness. Chief
Treschuk joined our October meeting for yet another highly
interactive discussion and to support our new Community
Safety Committee currently under formation.
– Steve Nesbit, President
Fallsgrove Property Owners Association
November 2007 • INSIDE FALLSGROVE • PAGE 3
Fallsgrove Swim Team Now Forming
This summer the kids from our community (ages ranged from
4-13 years) participated in a Swim Stroke Clinic. This clinic was
part of the process that we hope will result in the establishment
of a Summer Swim Team at Fallsgrove. Practice was held thrice
weekly for 5 weeks. Our kids had an opportunity to develop and
improve their swim techniques under the instruction of coaches
Stephanie Hansen, Ashley Lewis, and Kevin Hauri.
The stroke clinic was made possible through the support of
various individuals and groups, which included the following:
Coach Joe Flaherty of Joe Flaherty’s Dolphins who referred the
coaches to us, and volunteered his time and advice on several
evenings. He also donated swim caps for all of our swimmers!
The Fallsgrove Recreational Board provided $1000 for swimming
equipment to get our kids started. Tim Moore and Jamie Garvey,
Presidents of the Gaithersburg/Germantown Swim League, are
providing assistance on the process of setting up a Swim Team
in the Fallsgrove Community. Parents of the King Farm Swim
Team have also been a great resource.
On the last day of practice, the kids, parents, and coaches
participated in Relay Races followed by an Awards Ceremony
and Pizza Party. Mama Lucia’s generously donated pizza for
the party.
However, this will only be possible with the dedicated support and
involvement of parent volunteers in our community. At this time,
we are in need of people with finance/accounting, bookkeeping,
fundraising, and volunteer coordinating experiences to help us
get started.
The Gaithersburg/Germantown swim league will be coming
sometime in October to meet with interested parents in our
community to discuss how we will put together our Fallsgrove
Swim Team. Anyone interested in helping us establish a swim
team next summer, please email Kim Testa ([email protected]),
or Grace Osewe ([email protected]).
photos courtesy of Kim Testa
Unlike any other team sport, the focus of swimming is on
personal improvement and having fun for all skill levels from
beginners to the most advanced swimmers. Our goal in
Fallsgrove is to create a leisurely, organized and fun activity that
promotes physical fitness, team camaraderie, and community
togetherness as kids and parents get to know each other and
form personal relationships outside of practice.
Coach Joe Flaherty of Joe Flaherty’s Dolphins talking with the
parents and kids about the benefits of swimming and joining a
swim team.
Some of the fun moments: kids and coaches putting
one of their teammates inside the swim cap. Who
knew a swim cap could hold a person inside!
During the Stroke Clinic participants learned proper swim techniques.
PAGE 4
Yappy Hour a Success!
A Happy Time at the Doggie Yappy Hour
More than 180 residents, dog owners, and animal lovers
gathered on the Fallsgrove Village Green Saturday, Oct. 13 for
a couple hours of food, fun, and Doggie Contests at the 4th
Annual Fallsgrove Doggie Yappy Hour.
The Yappy Hour this year was a tremendous success! Owners
and their dogs browsed and sampled products from over 30
dog product/service vendors, animal rescues, and non-profit
dog organizations.
The highlight of the
Yappy Hour was the
annual Doggie Contest.
Dogs of all shapes and
sizes competed in “Best
Dressed,” “Cutest Smile,”
and “Best Trick.”
Winners of the “Best Dressed”
contest included Ludus (dressed
in Hawaiian hula outfit) in first
place, Bentley (dressed in Tux with
sunglasses) in second place, and
Pogo, Mattel and baby Nate (as a
pumpkin patch) in third place. We
had many other winners dressed
in costumes ranging from Zorro
to Cinderella.
In the “Cutest Smile” contest, dogs showed off their pearly whites
and funny expressions. Summer, a golden retriever, snagged
first place and with her laughing smile. Gracie, a MalteseBichon mix, came in second
place wowing the judges with
her mischievous grin. Bacchus, a
Vizsla, placed third with his earto-ear display of happiness. Other
winners showed the judges cute
smirks, sad puppy dog eyes, and
other comical expressions.
The “Best Trick” contest included
dogs with impressive talent.
Drake, an Australian shepherd,
placed first with multiple tricks
culminating in a remarkable jump
through a hula-hoop. Coming in
second, Harry astounded the
photos by Arthur Goldberg
crowd by performing a complicated treat-off-nose trick. Peep, a
Pomeranian, took third place with her extraordinary runway walk
on hind legs. We had many other talented winners performing
(or attempting) amazing tricks.
The Yappy Hour would not have been possible without the support
of the Fallsgrove community. Thanks to the many volunteers,
including Jill Barsky, the Bursch
family, Sue Rothenberger, Ken
Richter, Arthur Goldberg, Tiffany
and Matt Castenera, Julie Starling,
and many more wonderful people
for making the event a success.
Thank you to the vendors for
donating fabulous and generous
prizes to the Doggie Contest and
to our wonderful judges (Matt
Castenera, Arthur Goldberg,
and Alex Bowens) for making
the hard decisions. A special
thanks to Steve Nesbit and the
POA for supporting and funding
the Yappy Hour and to
Matt Fleming and Mark
Keenan of Armstrong
Management for their
assistance.
With this year’s Yappy
Hour such a success,
we hope to have
another one next
October.
– Aubrey Bursch
Fallsgrove Real Estate Listings
FOR RENT
Address
List Price
Sold Price
Home Style
Days on Market
$1,700
$2,015
$3,000
$3,000
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
TH
Condo
TH
TH
8
24
4
5
List Price
Sold Price
Home Style
Days on Market
$375,000
$379,000
$379.900
$393,000
$404,900
$420,000
$439,000
$525,900
$549,900
$550,000
$569,000
$859,500
$925,000
$949,000
$1,195,000
$1,200,000
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
Condo
TH
TH
Condo
Condo
TH
Condo
Condo
TH
TH
TH
TH
SF
TH
SF
SF
202
41
19
65
235
57
87
40
7
41
71
14
43
12
6
20
315 Fallsgrove Drive #66
9403 Blackwell Road #202
218 Fallsgrove Blvd #5
410 Oak Knoll Terr
ACTIVE LISTINGS
Address
321 Prettyman Dr #73
237 Jay Dr
221 Jay Dr #102
701 Fallsgrove Dr #209
9403 Blackwell Rd #102
223 Jay Dr #101
9405 Blackwell Rd #202
701 Fallsgrove Dr #205
1114 Oak Knoll Terr
517 Jacala Ter
514 Fallsgrove Dr
302 Lisa Oaks Way
323 Oak Knoll Dr
308 Oak Knoll Ter
210 Jay Dr
310 Long Trail Ter
UNDER CONTRACT
Address
520 Jacala Ter
535 Casey Lane
508 Jacala Ter
108 Long Trail Ter
List Price
Sold Price
Home Style
Settlement Date
Days on Market
$548,888
$550,000
$829,000
$1,199,900
Not Yet Settled
Not Yet Settled
Not Yet Settled
Not Yet Settled
TH
TH
Patio
SF
n/a
Nov 16, 2007
Dec 18, 2007
Oct 15, 2007
27
23
8
11
Listings as of 10/14/07
The information above was obtained from MRIS.
Information is believed to be accurate, but should not
be relied upon without verification.
Birthday “Babies”
October
Sushil Pancholi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10/04
Stephanie Rosenblatt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10/28
Reporting dead street trees and/or street
tree pruning is a member responsibility
and should be done directly to the City of
Rockville. Mulching is the responsibility
of the individual associations and
weeding of the street tree beds is the
responsibility of the members.
Jennifer Triandafillou . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10/29
Joseph Vallin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10/15
November
Esther Pollack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11/22
Ellen Lebedow Soumerhian . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11/27
Kostas Triantafillou . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11/30
PAGE 6
Forum Finds Candidates Candid
Fallsgrove’s Candidates’ Forum held at the Lakewood Country
Club successfully brought all the candidates together to answer
questions posed by former Maryland State Delegate Cheryl
Kagan. Under the chairmanship of our neighbor Paul Love, the
structure of the evening found the three candidates for Mayor
first to face questions like: “Diversity of Rockville’s citizens is a
strength of our City. How would you promote diversity in City
Government?” Or, “What is the biggest impact you would expect
from the implementation of RORZOR?”
Of course the one that got the audience’s attention (particularly
when Drew Powell and Susan Hoffmann seemed to find some
discomfort answering) was “What do you like best about the
candidates sitting next to you? Drew answered, “Susan was
a snappy dresser.” And Susan, pinned down by Cheryl for
something positive to say about Drew, replied “I liked him better
with a beard.”
With eleven candidates for City Council, Paul decided to divide
them into three groups with each group asked a particular
question rather than all eleven being asked the same one. This
worked well saving time and tempers.
Meet the Candidates
With questions such as “Traffic in and around the City is bad
and getting worse. What measures would you support to
lessen traffic congestion?” or, “Do you support the Gude Drive
interchange from Route 270? Why or why not?”, the candidates
managed to provide some incite into their positions. And, with
“Lightning Round” Questions to break up the staid questions
and answers, we learned such important information such as
the candidates’ favorite restaurants and ice creams.
After the evening’s program ended, a number of candidates
came to Paul and thanked Fallsgrove for providing an excellent
program and forum for their views to be aired.
It was an evening our community could take great pride in
sponsoring.
– Arthur Goldberg
Please patronize our advertisers and mention
you saw their ads in the Inside Fallsgrove
newsletter. We need their support. They help
keep us together.
Susan Hoffmann
Mark Pierzchala
Drew Powell
Mayoral Candidate
Mayoral Candidate
Mayoral Candidate
Piotr (Peter) Gajewski
Richard Gottfried
Carl Henn
Council Candidate
Council Candidate
Council Candidate
Tracy PakulniewiczChidiac
Council Candidate
Theo Anderson
John Britton
Council Candidate
Council Candidate
Ann Robbins
Eric Wang
Council Candidate
Council Candidate
Rockville City Police Department
Tips to Residents to Better Ensure Their Safety
Three Unrelated Incidents Prompt Police to Issue Reminders to City Residents
ROCKVILLE, Md., September 12, 2007 — Rockville City
Police would like to remind all residents of the importance
of never opening doors to strangers, even if they are asking
for assistance. If a 911 call must be made, City Police advise
residents to make the call themselves. Do not hand over a
phone, which may allow the stranger to forcibly enter the
residence. If there is a legitimate emergency, the stranger will
wait for police assistance.
These reminders are particularly timely due to two possible
attempted, but separate, home invasions on Casey Lane
and Hurley Avenue earlier this week. These attempted home
invasions were averted when the homeowners refused to
answer their door.
Rockville City Police responded to a call on Sept. 9, because,
at approximately 12:17 a.m., the doorbell rang twice at a
residence on Casey Lane. The homeowner did not answer the
door but looked out the window and saw two individuals, of
Random Acts of Kindness
Stories! Stories! This one, shared by a fellow resident,
shows the power of anonymous random acts of
kindness.
A young woman took her stack of unstamped letters to
the post office. As often happens, when she walked in,
the line was long. She waited patiently and when she
reached the counter, she checked her stack as she
handed the envelopes to the postal worker. She realized
that one was missing — one that contained a check made
out for a very large amount of money. The young lady
believed she had dropped it somewhere between home
and the post office and planned to retrace her steps in
order to find the errant envelope.
After dropping off the remaining stack, she started her
search to no avail. Not long after, she checked with the
company to share her story. The person on the other end
of the phone acted surprised because the letter in the
stamped envelope that contained the check had been
delivered.
A kind individual found the letter, put a stamp on it, and
sent it on its way.
(Send your anecdote to Sue Jeweler at sjlj@comcast.
net)
unknown race, attempting to hide by the door. The homeowner
immediately called the police and the suspects fled.
Several minutes later, at approximately 12:35 a.m., police
officers responded to a report of an attempted home invasion
in progress at the 700 block of Hurley Ave. Upon arrival, officers
were advised that a Caucasian man, 18–20 years of age, had
come to the victim’s door requesting help for a friend who was
struck by a vehicle. The victim refused to let the individual in to
his home but offered the suspect his cell phone to make a call
to 911. When the victim opened the door to hand over the cell
phone, another suspect exited the bushes next to the victim’s
door and a scuffle ensued. The victim was able to disengage
the two suspects and the suspects fled on foot.
The police do not know if these two events are related.
On Sept. 10, a couple living on Colonial Court returned
home to discover their rear door was forcibly entered. They
discovered jewelry and electronics were taken. While the
burglary was being investigated by Rockville City Police, a
call was received by police dispatch regarding a suspicious
person on Winding Rose Court. A Montgomery County
Police Officer observed the person and stopped him for
questioning. Further investigation by City investigators found
that the suspect had in his possession property matching
the description of the items stolen from the Colonial Court
residence. This property was positively identified as belonging
to the victim. An arrest was made in this incident.
All three incidents will require further investigation.
The Rockville City Police Department offers free home
security surveys to all residents. Please contact the Police
Department at 240-314-8900 and ask for the Community
Service Officer.
– Courtesy of Rockville City Police Department
PAGE 8
It’s For Your Health
It’s For Your Health provides valuable health information
resources from U.S. federal agencies and other components
to help you make informed healthcare decisions. Always seek
medical advice from your doctor or other healthcare professionals
to be sure.
In recent months, we’ve learned about many different types of
products that have been recalled. We’ve heard about lead paint
in toys and in children’s metal jewelry, cribs that can suffocate
infants, bunk beds that can collapse, outdoor candles that pose
a fire and burn hazard and E.Coli that was found in millions of
pounds of hamburger meat. The Consumer Products Safety
Commission (CPSC) is responsible for protecting the public
against unreasonable risks of injuries and deaths associated
with more than 15,000 consumer products under the agency’s
jurisdiction.
Deaths, injuries and property damage from consumer product
incidents cost the nation more than $700 billion annually. The
CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from
products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical
hazard or can injure children. The CPSC’s work to ensure the
safety of consumer products — such as toys, cribs, power tools,
cigarette lighters, and household chemicals — contributed
significantly to the 30 percent decline in the rate of deaths and
injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30
years.
You can find print and order free CPSC publications on subjects
such as:
• child safety
• children’s furniture
• clothing safety
• crib safety
• electrical safety
• fire safety
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/pub_idx.html
The CPSC has introduced a special “Kidd Safety” webpage to
prevent unreasonable risk of injuries to children associated with
consumer products. Information includes:
• Diagram showing the right way and wrong way to wear a
safety helmet
• Bicycle and bicycle helmet safety
• Scooters
http://www.cpsc.gov/kids/kidsafety/index.html
Keeping Track of Recalled Products
Keeping track of recalls for products such as foods, medicines,
toys, cars and other items can be a challenge. But there’s one
resource that consists of multiple government recall websites.
Visit http://www.recalls.gov to find the latest recalls and to
search for past recalls. You’ll find information from the following
sources:
• Consumer Product Safety Commission-consumer products
• Food and Drug Administration-food (with the exception of
meat and poultry), medicines, medical devices, biologics,
cosmetics and dietary supplements
• Department of Agriculture-meat and poultry
• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration-vehicles and
car seats
• Environmental Protection Agency-pesticides and emissions
• U.S. Coast Guard-boats
Safe Youth, Safe Schools
This fall, approximately 55 million students returned to the
classrooms across the U.S. While our nation’s schools are
expected to be safe havens for learning, unintentional injuries
and even violence can occur. These events may disrupt the
education process and negatively affect the school and the
surrounding community. The Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC) wants parents and their children to be
informed. Topics include:
• Getting to school safely
• School safety
• Safety during sports and physical activity
• Additional resources from the Department of Education
http://www.cdc.gov/Features/SafeSchools
The CDC also has health and safety information for college
students. They want students to enjoy college in a safe and
healthy way. Their webpage includes:
• Safety concerns
• Diet changes and eating disorders
• Fatigue and sleep deprivation
• Mental health – stress, anxiety, and depression
http://www.cdc.gov/Features/CollegeHealth
The Flu Season is Upon Us
October through November is the best time to get vaccinated.
Although, you can still get vaccinated in December and
Continued on page 23
New Era for Fallgrove
With construction due to begin the first week of November on
the Community Center and expectations for it to be open in a
little over a year, we can expect this 18,000 sq. ft. facility to be a
remarkable asset to Fallsgrove and the entire City. The Center’s
basketball court, fitness room, meeting and activity rooms and
kitchen for catered events, present opportunities for individual
and group activities.
Our communities living west of I 270 will have the ability to walk,
jog or bicycle to downtown Rockville and with the opening of
the Bicycle Bridge, the communities to the
east will have the ability to visit the parks
and shops on this side of the Interstate
without having to drive. These two projects
will unite our City and provide opportunities
for growth and recreation unmatched in
Rockville’s long history.
courtesy of Arthur Goldberg
Plans for Our Corner
At the dedication of the Community Center, I spoke with Burt Hall, Director
of Parks and Planning. He provided me with the following information: With
a budget of $120,000 the architectural design firm, Slater & Associates of
Columbia, Maryland was hired to initially provide design concepts for the corner
of Shady Grove Road and Darnestown Road. We can expect to be notified,
via post card, within the next few months when we can review the designs and
vote for the design we like the most, as well as offer any comments. This will
be a very important addition to the community since this corner serves as the
western gateway to our community and the City.
As the first families to move into Fallsgrove can attest, little has been done
to beautify this area since its inception leaving a very unattractive retention
pond as the sole decoration for the corner. Now, with Rockville’s acquisition of
resources to beautify this location, we must take advantage of the opportunity
to interact with the City and make our views heard.
– Arthur Goldberg
photo by Arthur Goldberg
Council Member Ann Robbins and Burt Hall,
Director of Parks & Planning
PAGE 10
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Veterans Day Weather
Depending on whether you think of the start of winter as December
1 (meteorological winter) or December 21 (astronomical winter),
the winter season is still 3–6 weeks away as of November 11.
Nevertheless, the period around Veteran’s Day in the past has
been associated with some wild and wooly weather here and
elsewhere, but particularly in the Great Lakes region.
Pre-Weather Bureau records tell of a terrible storm on November
10, 1835 that “stripped the lower Lakes of all sails.” Much later,
during this century, November 11, 1911 was long remembered
by Midwest farmers for a cold wave which struck with such
ferocity that it was described “as one of the most remarkable
cold waves in the history of the U.S. Weather Bureau.” (Of
course the Weather Bureau, now the National Weather Service,
had only been in existence about 40 years at the time.)
Just two years later, in 1913, another severe tempest known as
the “Freshwater Fury Storm” struck the Great Lakes area on
November 10. It would be another 27 years however, before the
granddaddy of all Great Lakes storms would hit.
Known as the Armistice Day Storm of 1940, it dealt a mighty
blow to the upper Great Lakes states. This storm was one of
the worst blizzards of any month in Minnesota, Wisconsin,
and upper Michigan and was also one of the deadliest for
November, leaving over 70 dead on the storm-tossed Lake
Michigan alone.
During the next 50 years history repeated itself several more
times in the vicinity of the Great Lakes, with at least three more
severe storms (1975, 1977, and 1982) striking on or around
Veteran’s Day. Of these, it was the 1975 storm that was to
become a folk legend.
With 60 + mph winds raking eastern Lake Superior at the height
of the 1975 storm on the evening of November 10th, the 729-foot
ore carrier EDMUND FITZGERALD went down with a crew of
29. Although bodies were never found, a diving expedition was
successful in locating the wreckage during the late 1980’s.
Since the ship was found in two halves, some experts believe
it literally broke in two as its bow and stern were suspended by
two successive super waves. Others believe the ship capsized
and broke in half upon hitting bottom. Whatever the cause,
the tragedy seemed to capture the imagination of folk singer
Gordon Lightfoot, who in 1976 wrote a ballad entitled “The
Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.” It was a popular folk tune
that transformed this maritime disaster into one of the most
celebrated shipwrecks of the 20th century.
Although, to my knowledge, events caused by Veterans Day
weather in the Washington area have never inspired any
songwriters, we have had our meteorological “bombs.” Clearly,
the stand-out of these during the last 50 years was the surprise
Veterans Day Blizzard of 1987, which dumped up to 16 inches
of snow on the southeastern portion of the D.C. area. Most of
the region, however, escaped with less than six inches.
The storm, which arrived just two days after a balmy 72 degrees
had been recorded, was of the type that literally exploded right
over us. Understandably, it was poorly forecast (less than an
inch of snow was predicted the night before) and was later
analyzed to the nth degree by the National Weather Service.
Hopefully, there is now a better understanding of the dynamic
forces that helped to suddenly spawn such an unusual storm.
Weather-wise, what will Veteran’s Day 2007 be like? As of
September 23rd, my crystal ball isn’t quite that big. But for the
sake of all of the observances in honor of our war dead, let’s
hope the weather is pleasant, indeed.
HOME & GARDEN SOLUTIONS
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News of Neighbors
Congratulations to Adam Weber and Tali Slovin on
the ocassion of their wedding, October 14, 2007 at
Lakewood Country Club.
We want your news! Babies, birthdays, major
achievements! E-mail us at [email protected]
PAGE 12
The Importance of a Medical History
If you have recently visited a doctor with a medical complaint or
problem you were more likely than not subjected to a number
of tests. These tests are usually beyond the visit’s history and
physical examination and may include blood tests, x-rays, etc.
The variety and sheer number of medical tests has increased
dramatically over the years. A standard yearly physical exam
10 or more years ago would have had less than half of the
testing you have now. The sophistication of medical testing
has largely followed advances in technology and what we as a
culture expect in our medical care.
I recently attended a medical school reunion and was taken on a
tour of the current teaching facilities for medical students. What
impressed me most was how much more technology is involved
with training medical students today. Students do procedure
training on very sophisticated computerized mannequins that
make realistic sounds, turn blue, and react to provide feedback.
In the pathology training course where medical students are
taught about different types of diseased tissue, students now
look at the tissue on a computer screen rather than through the
lens of a microscope.
Even today with all this technology and testing, opportunity
for medical history remains the important part of a medical
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evaluation. Unfortunately what’s been lost is the skill and training
of physicians to take good medical histories in making a clinical
diagnosis. Time allocated for the history taking in a medical
exam has been minimized. Doctors have been persuaded to
concentrate on test results while minimizing the importance of
the patient’s history. Yet, there is no substitute for the information
and detail that a patient can convey about their individual problem
during the taking of a medical history. This is particularly true
when test results fail to match the patient’s clinical problem.
In my practice I often find patients with seasonal allergy
symptoms where their condition worsens in the spring or in
the fall and their allergy testing is negative. A patient with such
a history is often surprised by their negative allergy test when
they have clear allergy symptoms. The answer to this riddle is
that allergy testing is not 100% sensitive, and the patient with
allergy symptoms during various seasons has allergies.
Simply knowing the patient’s pattern of symptoms during
different seasons helps to predict what things they are allergic
to. Coupled with a knowledge of what pollens are in the air during
different seasons allows an accurate conclusion regarding the
cause of the allergy symptoms.
A woman recently conveyed a medical history of having chest
pain and shortness of breath which was treated initially as a
respiratory tract infection. A chest x-ray was taken and was read as
negative. She was later diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism
and became quite ill and was hospitalized. She had been
taking birth control pills and was not asked about this on her
initial visit. It is known that pulmonary embolism is associated
with birth control pill use. But remember the chest x-ray was
negative. Chest x-rays are of no value in diagnosing pulmonary
embolism. A clinical history would have revealed her use of
birth control pills and a pulmonary embolism may have been
suspected when the x-ray proved negative.
The next time you visit a physician think more about the history
you’ll be sharing as it can have a direct impact on the outcome
of your care.
– Michael S. Morris
Proposal for a Fallsgrove Community Garden
Some of your neighbors, as members of the Fallsgrove Garden
Committee, have been working on a proposal to set up a
community garden in the Fallsgrove neighborhood. What is a
community garden, you may ask? It is a collaborative garden that
is created on common property and shared by members of the
community garden. Members of the community garden share
in the organization, management and rewards of the garden. In
a community garden, the site is divided into rectangular plots;
each plot is rented (“cheap”) to individuals who then grow their
own vegetables, herbs and flowers.
Why a community garden? Gardening is a wonderful outdoor
activity, but in Fallsgrove, many people don’t have land for
growing their own vegetables and flowers. The City of Rockville
has two community gardens: one in Woottons Mill Park along
Hurley Avenue, and one at the Senior Center, which is for senior
citizens. Last year a Community Garden was established in
the King Farm neighborhood; it is organized and managed by
King Farm residents. The King Farm Garden is in its second
year and has been very successful. But these plots “sell out”
fast. Also, gardens close to home are more convenient and
easier to care for.
What are the rewards of a community garden? The most
obvious reward is the tremendous flavor of true homegrown
vegetables and herbs, picked at their peak of ripeness. Also,
there is the beauty and aroma of fresh cut flowers to brighten
up your home. But, there are many other benefits. A community
garden improves the quality of life, helping to turn a housing
development into a friendly neighborhood. It helps bring people
and families together in a shared activity. Already, I have met
new people and made friends by working on this committee.
These are people who are working for a common goal, with
a commitment to their neighborhood. Also, gardening is a
pleasant form of recreation and it provides opportunities for
fresh air, exercise, and learning new things. Often the garden
harvests are so abundant that gardeners share the excess with
neighbors and friends. In the past two years, the King Farm
gardeners have donated some of their extra vegetables to the
Manna Food Bank in Rockville.
The Fallsgrove Garden Committee plans to present the
proposal for a Fallsgrove Community Garden at the November
15 (Thursday) meeting of the Property Owners Association.
We will provide information and answer questions. In the
meantime, if you want to learn more, provide input, or to express
interest, please email me at [email protected]. Your level of
interest can be as an active supporter in organizing, an active
gardener who would rent a plot, or as a person who likes the
idea and wants to provide moral support for the rest of us. With
your help, the neighborhood of Fallsgrove can bring the idea
of a community garden into a vibrant, growing reality.
– Jerry Wujek
PAGE 14
Just Wired: Ask Dr. G
Orthodontic Treatment for Children
For children who need orthodontic treatment, there is a best
time to begin treatment in order to achieve the best results.
For this reason, the American Association of Orthodontists
recommends that all children be examined by an orthodontist
by age seven, or earlier if there are indications of a
problem.
If an orthodontist recommends that your child needs
treatment now, then s/he should be able to answer these
questions for you:
Why age seven? By age seven, most children have
a mix of primary (baby) teeth and permanent teeth,
and your orthodontist will be able to spot even subtle
problems with jaw growth and emerging teeth.
Whether your child has an inherited predisposition
to a “bad bite,” such as crowded teeth or unequal
jaw growth, or an acquired orthodontic problem,
such as from thumb sucking or an accident, the
advantage of early diagnosis and treatment is that
some orthodontic problems are easier to correct if they are
found and treated early, during the years that the treatment
may work in conjunction with your child’s natural growth
spurts. Waiting until your child’s permanent teeth have come
in or until her/his facial growth is nearly complete may make
correction of some problems more difficult.
• Will beginning now simplify the treatment that will be
needed later?
• If we begin treatment now, will we avoid extracting permanent
teeth?
• Will my child have to wear braces, and if yes, will
treatment now reduce the time in braces later?
• Will beginning now influence the growth of my child’s
jaws in a positive manner?
• Will treating now eliminate a problem that could do damage if
it’s not treated?
If the answer is yes to most of these questions, these are the three
types of treatment that your orthodontist may recommend…
• Preventive – Intended to keep a bad bite or crooked teeth
from developing in an otherwise normal mouth and to provide
adequate space for permanent teeth to come in.
• Interceptive – For problems that, left untreated, could lead to
the development of more serious dental problems over time.
This could include correction of thumb- and finger-sucking
habits, baby tooth removal to guide permanent teeth into
correct positions, or using a space maintainer to hold space
for permanent teeth.
• Comprehensive – Involves problems with the alignment of
your child’s teeth, how his/her jaws function and how her/his
top and bottom teeth fit together. The goal is to correct the
identified problem and restore your child’s bite to its optimum
condition.
A check-up may reveal that your child’s bite is fine and that he or
she doesn’t require treatment. In many cases, your orthodontist
may simply want to watch your child and his/her orthodontic
condition, doing periodic examinations to “keep an eye” on
development. Any of these diagnoses ultimately will give you
the peace of mind of knowing that you’re doing the best for
your child.
If you have an orthodontic concern that you would like to
“Ask Dr.G.” and see addressed in a future issue of Just
Wired please forward your questions to InsideFallsgrove@
gmail.com.
– Gordon S. Groisser, D.D.S., M.S.D.
Fallsgrove Wildlife News
Fall has arrived in Fallsgrove! The leaves are changing and the
air is cooler. It’s a great time of year to be outside. As you walk the
Fallsgrove trails, please be aware of the wildlife around you.
More about our furry neighbors…
Coyotes
eastern cottontails, found throughout Maryland. The eastern
cottontail lives in habitats that are between forested areas and
open land. They prefer bushes, fields, thickets, and swamps.
Cottontail rabbits are small animals with speckled brown fur,
white stomachs, and fluffy white tails. They average about three
pounds and rarely exceed 15 inches in length.
We’ve had many reports of coyotes, often walking in pairs, around
the neighborhood. Residents have seen the coyotes carrying
“dinner” home and exploring the woods and shrub areas. This
is all normal coyote behavior, especially since they may still be
feeding their young or hunting with the adolescents. The coyotes
have been sighted in all parts of our community, most recently
near the Safeway dumpsters and the condominiums. Please
remember, if you don’t want coyotes near your house, do not
make trash or food available to them. Put your trash in trashcans
with lids and do not put birdfeeders/birdseed outside.
Between February and September, the eastern cottontails mate.
The female builds nests on depressions in the ground and lines
it with her own fur. She has between one to nine babies. The
babies are weaned after three weeks and leave the nest at
about seven weeks. The female can mate again within hours of
giving birth, and can have three to four litters a year.
In an effort to co-exist with coyotes without human/coyote
conflicts, community members must follow the following
guidelines:
Cottontail rabbits are mostly nocturnal. Residents will most
likely see rabbits in the early morning and at dusk.
• Never feed coyotes or wildlife
The eastern cottontail has a high mortality rate. On average,
about 85 percent of the population dies each year. Our coyote
and fox keep the rabbits from breeding too much. The cottontail
can run up to 15 miles per hour when in danger.
For more cottontail information, please see http://www.dnr.
state.md.us/wildlife/rabbit.html.
• Keep garbage in sturdy trashcans with lids
Wildlife Rescue
• Do not use birdseed or birdfeeders
Many of us don’t consider how dangerous living in Fallsgrove is
for animals. Every day on our roads and in our yards, animals
are killed or injured, often by human carelessness. Just minutes
away from Fallsgrove, a wonderful organization is helping care for
injured wildlife. Second Chance Wildlife Center (SCWC), located
in Gaithersburg, takes in sick or wounded animals and works hard
to help them recover and return to the wild. SCWC can also help
answer all your wildlife questions. For example, many people call
SCWC because they see an “abandoned” fawn. But as the SCWC
staff will tell you, deer often leave fawns in a hiding spot alone for
hours so the fawn most likely is not abandoned. As Fallsgrove
residents, we live in close proximity to nature. We need to keep
our eye out for animals that may need help. The SCWC (http://
www.scwc.org/index.shtml) website tells you how to determine
if an animal is injured and how to capture the animal. Please call
SCWC at 301-926-WILD if you see an injured animal.
• Keep cats inside at all times
• Keep pets inside at night
• Always walk your dogs on a leash
• Supervise small children at all times
• Teach your older children what to do when they see a coyote
(act big, loud, and tall, do not run!)
• Don’t tolerate coyotes in your yard — chase them off by yelling,
making noise or throwing sticks
When you see a coyote, it is important you do the following things:
1. Do not run or walk away. Follow the directions below until the
coyote leaves.
2. Be big, mean, and LOUD! Yell and raise your
arms at the coyote. It is important that they
remain wary of humans.
For more information, please visit http://www.
rockvillemd.gov/residents/coyote.html or http://
w w w.mc - mncppc.org / Environment /coyote /
coyote.pdf.
Eastern Cottontail Rabbits
Many residents have commented on the abundance
of rabbits in Fallsgrove. These furry neighbors are
– Aubrey Bursch
PAGE 16
Fallsgrove Halloween Parade
Frightening Fallsgrove
Record crowds joined together to take pictures of their little ones and after
marching around Fallsgrove, enjoyed Mama Lucia pizza and Dunkin Donuts.
The community owes a great deal of thanks to Debra Feldman, her husband
Darryl, and the volunteers who helped them make this one of the happiest
family events of the year.
– Photos and copy by Arthur Goldberg
PAGE 18
From the Fallsgrove Rec Board
Annual Meeting: It is unfortunate that again this year we did
not have a quorum for our annual meeting. Each time we have
to mail out notices, your association spends about $1,500.00.
Your board would prefer to use that money on things or events
that better serve our community. Please, when you receive a
notice with a proxy, just sign it if you can’t attend in person and
drop off or send to Matt at the Rec Center.
routinely monitored, but will simply serve as a reference point
if vandalism or some other type of incident should occur. Then
we will review the tape from the time period involved in order to
hold responsible whoever might have abused the equipment.
Signs will be posted as soon as the cameras are installed.
Our rescheduled meeting will be held on Dec 11th at 7 p.m. in
the Rec Center. To save money, we will give the official notice of
this meeting by publication in a newspaper of general circulation
instead of mailing out the notices.
Pool Hours in September: For the current season that just
ended our association authorized the extension of the pool
use through weekends in September. However, the September
use was minimal. Thus we are considering other ideas on both
opening and closing dates and hours for next season. We
welcome your input.
Access Cards to the Fitness Center: In the near future we will
issue new access cards and deactivate all existing cards. Each
member of the Rec Association will need to come into the FG
Rec Center office to pick up the new cards. It should only take
a few minutes. In this way, people that are not authorized to use
the facility will not be able to use the old cards and this should
reduce some overcrowding by unauthorized users.
Budget for the Rec Association for FY 08: We are now
working on next year’s budget for the Rec Association. Because
of general inflationary increases, expanded use of our facilities,
and new programs such as the pool party, wireless internet
access at the pool deck and a likely swim team for next season,
our costs to operate have increased. Thus it is likely that we will
all see a small increase for next year.
Security Cameras in the Rec Center and Fitness Areas:
Your board authorized the purchase of several security cameras
for the building and work-out areas to protect your investment
in the building and our equipment. Several incidents of misuse
have necessitated this expense. The cameras will not be
Wireless Internet in the Rec Center and pool area: Now
available.
Rec Association board meetings: The community is welcome
to attend any of our meetings and at each meeting there is a
“community forum” during which residents are provided with
the opportunity to address any item of interest. Your presence
is welcome! Matt has the meeting schedules.
Swim Team for next season: Kim Testa and her team are
forming a group to coordinate efforts to establish a swim team
of kids (ages 5–18 years) for next season. At this time, we are
in need of volunteers with accounting/bookkeeping, fundraising,
stroke and turn judging, and volunteer coordinating experiences.
Details will be provided as the initiative continues to be organized
for next season. Kim Testa can be reached at [email protected].
– Norm Zorber
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Sell It, Find It, Share It in Fallsgrove Classifieds! Community
classifieds are free to all Fallsgrove residents ($10 fee applied
to non-residents). To place your classified, email us at
[email protected]. Deadline for the January issue
is November 25, 2007.
Attention EYA Homeowners
On behalf of the Homes at Fallsgrove Owners Association,
Inc., we would like to take this opportunity to address an
issue that many homeowners may already be aware of. The
Board of Directors would like for the neighborhood to be
as safe as possible and a giant step in accomplishing that
goal would be to have the alleyways lighted. All homes have
alleyway lights. Most of the homes have a photocell adaptor,
but many of the adaptors are not operable. As a courtesy to
the residents, the Board of Directors has decided to purchase
a photocell adaptor for all residents. We will be delivering
these adaptors in mid November to every EYA home in the
community. The adaptors will be delivered in a bag that will
be hung at each resident’s door. The adaptor screws right
into the light fixture and the light bulb will then need to be
screwed into the adaptor.
Owners Association’s Declaration of Covenants, Conditions
and Restrictions, Article VI, Section 3 (a):
If, for whatever reason, the adaptor does not work when you
receive it, please return it to the Clubhouse Manager for
replacement. Subsequent replacement of non-working fixtures
will be the responsibility of each individual homeowner to
make their alleyway light operational with a photocell adaptor.
Please note the following section from the Homes at Fallsgrove
We appreciate your attention to this matter. If you have any
questions, please do not hesitate to contact Matt Fleming,
Armstrong Management On Site Manager at (240) 453-0150
or via e-mail at [email protected].
“If any lights are attached to the exterior of a Living Unit (or
on or under a deck of a Living Unit) which the Declarant has
designed to provide lighting for the Lots or the Common Areas
(including the private streets, walkways or alleyways), or both,
the Owners of the Living Units to which such lights are attached
shall maintain such lights in operating order with photocell
lights. No Owner shall disconnect or otherwise impair the use
of such lights.”
After September 30th, an inspection will be conducted and those
homes without working alleyway lights will be sent a violation
letter and subject to further action by the Board of Directors.
– Jeff Weber
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Dr. Groisser received his Bachelor’s
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and Doctor of Dental Surgery degree
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of Science degree in Orthodontics from
Case Western Reserve University.
PAGE 20
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The Homes at Fallsgrove Owners Association
Board Meeting Minutes – September 10, 2007
Location: Fallsgrove Recreation Center
Meeting Commenced: 7:00 p.m. EST
1. Call to Order/Welcome
Present: Jeff Weber, President; Phil Sherman, Vice President;
Pete Plotas, Secretary; Shelly Wujek, Treasurer and Jay Brandes.
Armstrong Management: Mark Keenan and Matt Fleming.
2. Review of Prior Meeting Minutes
• Jeff Weber made motion to accept May 21, 2007 minutes,
which was unanimously agreed.
• Jeff Weber made motion approve submission of the Annual
Meeting minutes for approval at the next annual meeting.
3. Owner/Resident Inquiries
Homeowner question regarding architectural violation notice
related to a faux bronze plaque. Request for appeal and
exception to the by-law governing the violation. The BOD
agreed to seek legal advice regarding potential to revise the
existing Covenant language.
4. Report of Officers
President’s Report
Steve Nesbit has organized a meeting of all the Fallsgrove
association presidents on 18 September which Jeff Weber will
attend. Board members were requested to forward any issues
to Jeff that they would like discussed.
Treasurer’s Report
BOD instructed Armstrong to rollover the CD at Millennium
Bank ($73,981.74) and invest $75K from savings into a 9-month
CD at Fidelity and Trust for 5.59%.
5. Committee Report
ARB – outstanding issues related to violations of satellite dish
placement. Armstrong was instructed to issue violation letters to
all such cases. Additional outstanding issue related to planters
with an unresponsive homeowner. Jeff Weber made a motion
for Armstrong to consult with legal counsel to craft a letter and
begin assessing fines if appropriate, which was unanimously
approved.
6. Old Business
• Status of the No Parking stickers – currently at the printer and
will be completed shortly.
• Status of Photocell Light sensor – agreement to purchase 350
sensors from Dominion Electric.
7. New Business
• Draft Reserve Study – Stephen Johnston, Thomas Downey,
Ltd., prepared a draft reserve study for repair and replacement
of infrastructure components that are the Association’s
responsibility to maintain. Q&A session was conducted to
ensure the BOD understanding. The reserve study is meant for
guidance as to the planning for future community maintenance.
Verification was still needed to determine if the paths leading
from the streets to the Millennium trail belong to the HOA or
are the responsibility of Rockville to maintain. Similarly, there
is still a question concerning the ownership of the driveways
of the Potomac models.
• Fall Mulch Proposal – confirmation obtained by BOD to execute
the proposal to top-dress all tree rings and mulch beds with
double-shredded hardwood mulch in the amount of $6,690.
Proposal is from Community Landscapes of Maryland for the
Board’s review and approval. Price is same as 2006.
• Draft Landscape Maintenance RFP – full document was
reviewed and discussed by the BOD with revised language
planned before finalization and delivery to potential bidders.
Mark Keenan will provide copies to other HOAs so that
requests for bids can be requested at the same time for all
HOAs.
8. Report of Management Agent: N/A
9. Executive Session
Meeting Adjourned: 9:50 p.m.
– Pete Plotas, Secretary
Be Environmentally Friendly
Turn off outside lights during the day. Coal is used to
generate electricity which pollutes the air we breathe.
PAGE 22
Board Meeting Minutes – August 22, 2007
Meeting Called to Order at 7:07 p.m.
Report of Officers:
Attending Board Members: Steve Nesbit, President; Larry
Robinson, Vice President; Eric Remian, Treasurer; Arthur
Goldberg, Secretary, Kacey Ma
President: Steve reported the City has been very supportive in
helping to resolve the issues of trees and shrubs that fell under
Fallsgrove Associates’ and Pulte’s contracts with landscaping
company. A financial settlement is very close to resolution.
Armstrong Management: Mark Keenan and Matthew Fleming
Rockville City Government: Dwayne Jenkins, Rockville
Neighborhood Coordinator.
Residents: Marsha Schwartz, Mr. & Mrs. Ken Richter, Aubrey
Bursch and Paul Love.
Tom Whidden, Principal of Community Landscaping.
Approval of Minutes:
May 17, June 21, July 25th 2007 minutes approved by the Board.
Open Forum:
The City holds the developers in violation of certain provisions
in the “Fallsgrove Development Plan” and will not transfer the
final deed to the POA while these violations are still in effect.
The question of responsibility for the landscaping/flowers along
Fallsgrove Drive and West Montgomery was raised and Dwayne
was asked to bring this to the attention of Steve Mader of the City.
Steve moved and Larry seconded a motion to approve $1600
for mulching and trimming the tree beds in the common areas.
Communications Committee: Arthur reported that the
newsletter arrived at the club house and would be delivered to
residents’ homes in the next couple of days.
Dwayne reported the City Police Department’s “Report on
Crime for Fallsgrove.” Steve asked that it be available at the
clubhouse for public review.
Advertising in the newsletter pays for most if not all the expenses.
Dwayne announced that a meeting on September 25th , 7–9
p.m. at the Rockville Senior Center will be open to the public to
discuss the plans for the Fallsgrove Park Community Center.
Steve asked if a presentation could be made to the Board at
the next POA meeting.
New Business:
Aubrey observed that Safeway was not maintaining the dumpsters
and this attracts coyotes. Dwayne advised that Steve Davis,
Rockville Commercial Code Enforcement, should inspect.
Dwayne announced the upcoming Rockville University: an eight
week course free to residents, where directors for various city
departments explain their mission and encourage questions from
citizenry. The date will be sometime before Thanksgiving.
Dwayne reported that Traffic and Transportation will improve
traffic flow on Windy Knoll Drive by painting traffic lines and the
HOA for this area will be notified so it can inform citizens when
the striping will occur.
Paul Love asked for the POA to support a “Candidates’ Forum.”
It was moved by Steve and seconded by Arthur to approve
expenditures up to $600 for the event.
Aubrey reported on Yappy Hour Budget for banner, signs and
catering. Steve moved, Larry seconded and the POA authorized
an initial $600 with the final amount to be determined when
Aubrey has all her estimates.
Unfinished Business: None
Tom Whidden, Principal of Community Landscaping, addressed
the community’s appearance with issues such as the flowers in
the medians and overall enhancements being driven by water
accessibility. Tom suggested the City of Rockville investigate and
provide a cost for metering. He urged that when we consider the
upcoming contract for landscaping, we make sure the various
landscaping company’s proposals describe their responsibilities
in an “apples to apples” format.
Landscape Management Contract discussed and it was agreed
to vote via email prior to the next meeting.
Steve presented a plan to create the “Fallsgrove POA Council
of Presidents” a new business forum for the leaders of the POA
membership. The goal being to have the community leadership
including the president of each member association along with a
leader from the apartments and the commercial entities to meet
once per year to work out cooperative efforts, assist with any
issues individual associations are having, brainstorm, and develop
plans that will help Fallsgrove to work and act as a single unified
community. To date, no such communication has occurred and no
such forum existed. A motion to approve the event and authorize
a budget not to exceed $1,000 was made by Steve, seconded by
Kacey, and approved unanimously by the board.
Report of Managing Agent: Assessments were reversed
between JPI 1 and 3 and Camden Apartments agreed to pay their
Continued on page 23
Fallsgrove Council of Presidents
The presidents of each POA member association were invited to
a business meeting to facilitate communications and coordination
between our members. The commercial entities and apartments
were represented by their POA representatives. The POA also
extended a courtesy invitation to the president of the Recreation
Association, which, while not a member association, is an
important organization of our community and we welcomed the
participation.
The meeting was held on Tuesday, September 18th and I
want to thank the leadership for turning this concept into such
a successful new forum. The Council of Presidents is the first
and only business forum where the community leadership
meets to discuss all matters relating to current, planned and
future community initiatives and direction. There were many
topics discussed including landscaping, management, site plan
understanding, public and Community Intranet plans, coordination
with the City of Rockville, amongst many others. While the POA
was hoping to turn this into an annual business meeting, the
recommendation of the Council of Presidents forum is to make
this a bi-annual meeting.
– Steve Nesbit
It’s For Your Health
photo courtesy Jeff Weber
Front row, left to right: Jeff Weber, Rick Silas, Nell Sutton, Eric
Remian. Back row: Jeff Cohen, Steve Nesbit, Norm Zober, Nolan
Sklute
August POA Minutes
later. Flu season can begin as early as October and last
as late as May. Did you know that there are two types of
vaccines, the “flu shot” and the nasal-spray flu vaccine?
To obtain key facts about vaccines and the flu season,
visit CDC’s seasonal flu webpage. http://www.cdc.gov/flu/
protect/keyfacts.htm
underassessment. Larry asked that the record show the money
will be paid to the condo association. Arthur moved and Kacey
seconded a motion to the affect.
Countdown to Thanksgiving
It’s almost that time of the year to prepare for one of the most
important family holidays of the year. Preparing for large family
gatherings usually require time to prepare for the holiday meal.
Keeping in mind all that goes into a delicious and safe holiday
meal, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and
Inspection Service (FSIS) provides you with information to help
you prepare for your holiday meal. While viewing the website,
don’t forget to browse their food safety education webpage.
You’ll find “Karen,” FSIS’ virtual and automated representative,
who can answer your questions 24/7.
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Countdown_to_the_
Holiday/index.asp
DISCLAIMER
The author, Harriet Albersheim, is not representing the Food
and Drug Administration or any other U.S. federal agency. The
items selected are her own personal choices.
“Reserve Study”: we agreed that the Reserve Study describing
the anticipated areas of maintenance and attention the POA is
responsible for overseeing be prepared now that we are close
to resolving issues of title to the property. Larry moved and
Steve seconded the motion directing Armstrong to prepare and
request a proposal for a “Reserve Study.”
The meeting was adjourned at 9:25 p.m.
– Arthur Goldberg, Secretary
PAGE 24
Board Meeting Minutes – September 20, 2007
Meeting was called to order at 7:05 p.m. by Steve Nesbit,
President
Board Members in attendance: Larry Robinson, V.P., Eric
Remian, Treasurer, Steve Nesbit, President. It was noted that
the Board had a quorum.
Bill Nieberding from the Rockville Police Department talked
about graffiti and gangs. He said that gangs had not really
spread to Rockville and the City had more of a problem with
graffiti. He also said we should call Dianne of the Rockville City
Police Department to report graffiti on signs and the City will
have the graffiti removed.
Review August 23, 2007 Minutes
The minutes from the August 23, 2007 meeting were made available
and discussed by the Board. Eric Remian moved that August 23,
2007 minutes be accepted, Larry Robinson seconded the Motion
and the Motion was unanimously approved by the Board.
Open Forum
Dr. Groisser, an orthodontist, talked about his program where he
buys back Halloween candy received by children at one dollar
per pound. This will take place at the Clubhouse immediately
after Halloween. Larry Robinson moved that the Board endorse
this program, Eric Remian seconded the Motion and the Motion
was unanimously approved by the Board.
Debra Feldman discussed the Halloween parade scheduled
for October 31, 2007 at 4:00 p.m. at the clubhouse. She is
attempting to get donations.
Aubrey Bursch discussed the Doggie Yappy Hour. She had a
better estimate of the catering which will cost about $660.00.
Discussion took place about increasing the amount the Board
would contribute to the event. Based upon this discussion, Larry
Robinson moved that the Board allocate up to $1,727.54 for the
Doggie Yappy Hour, Eric Remian seconded the Motion and the
Motion was unanimously approved by the Board.
Jerry Wujek, the community garden committee chairman, told
the Board he was working on getting a proposal together to
present to the POA Board of Directors. He is working on a plan
and funding with Steve Nader of the City. He is still reviewing
different sites. He expects to have about 25 garden plots of 10
feet by 15 feet and will get back to us later on.
Dwayne Jenkins, Rockville Neighborhood Coordinator, discussed
the open house scheduled by the City on September 25, 2007 for
the park on Fallsgrove Drive across from the Summit Apartments
with the groundbreaking set for October 20, 2007.
Report of Officers
Steve Nesbit discussed the meeting held on September 19, 2007
with all the presidents of the different homeowner organizations
in our community at the Lakewood Country Club. He mentioned
the meeting was a great success. They discussed landscaping
and other issues involving our community.
Report of Committees
Newspaper Committee: Deb Dulin, newspaper manager, said
that two advertisers paid for August, 2007 and two owed for
that month. She said nine advertisers had paid for multi-issue
subscriptions by July, 2007. She said the newsletter had to be
either 20 or 28 pages. She reported that the deadline for our
next issue is October 1, 2007.
Traffic Committee: No report was available.
Unfinished Business
Landscaping: Discussion took place about the Potomac
Landscaping Contract in the amount of $16,487.00 for replacement
of plant material along Darnestown Road. It was agreed that
Steve Nesbit would sign the contract which he did in fact do.
Eric Remian moved that we send out a proposal for bids for two
additional places to be landscaped. Larry Robinson seconded
the Motion and the Motion was unanimously approved by the
Board.
Deeds and Releases: Steve Nesbit noted that we are still
working on the deeds and release with the City and developers
concerning the issues of trees and shrubs, ownership, release of
liability, responsibility, maintenance, etc. Hopefully this process
should be completed shortly.
Reserves: It was noted that because a couple structures were
still not officially identified as POA property, we could not yet
determine the proper amount of reserves to maintain.
New Business
2008 Budget: The Board was presented with a draft of the
2008 budget and a brief discussion took place concerning the
budget. There was a further discussion by the Board as to
where our cash accounts should be held by the board should
be held. Eric Remian moved that any such funds held by the
Board be put in certificates of deposit with the highest yield
available, Larry Robinson seconded the Motion and the Motion
was unanimously approved by the Board.
Meeting was adjourned at 10:40 p.m.
– Larry Robinson
REUSE • REDUCE • RECYCLE
Recycling makes a difference and YOU can make it happen. Let’s get it RIGHT.
What’s IN
What’s OUT
PAPER
All clean dry paper items
white, color, cardboard, food boxes, newspaper,
inserts, mail, magazines, catalogs, phone books,
paperback books, paper towel and toilet rolls
Put in paper bags
Wrapping paper
GLASS
All food and beverage jars and bottles
All color glass except blue
soft drink, juice, beer, wine, spaghetti sauce,
pickle, mayonnaise
Empty and rinse
Caps and lids
PLASTIC
BOTTLES
Clear and colored plastic bottles with necks
milk, soft drink, juice, detergent, bleach
Empty and rinse
Caps and lids
margarine, yogurt, cottage cheese, deli/salad
containers, styrofoam egg cartons, microwave
plates, baby wipe containers, plastic toys,
gadgets, automotive bottles
CANS &
FOIL
All aluminum and steel food and beverage cans
soft drink, beer, juice, tuna, vegetable, pet food
Discard or keep lids attached. Empty and rinse
Disposable aluminum foil products
balled foil wrap, foil cookware, pie plates, lasagna
trays, foil TV dinner trays
Automotive parts
Other metal items
Do not crush cans
Adapted from MC Dept of Public Works & Transportation Division of Solid Waste Services 240-777-6410
Board Meetings for 2007
Fallsgrove Property Owners Assoc.
Fallsgrove Homeowners Assoc. (quarterly)
(3rd Thursday of the month)
November 15 • December 20
November 14
Homes at Fallsgrove
(mostly the first Monday every other month)
November 5
Fallsgrove Recreation Assoc. (quarterly)
December 11 (Annual + BOD)
Fallsgrove Condominium Assoc.
(4th Tuesday every month, except December)
November 27
Condominium Residences I
(4th Thursday of alternate months, 7:30 p.m.)
November 29 (Annual Meeting, 7:00 p.m.)
Condominium Residences II
(3rd Wednesday of alternate months, 7:00 p.m.)
November 21
Condominium Residences III & IV
Meeting time & dates available to unit owners only
PAGE 26
Word Find
by Sharyn & Art Fuchs
Autumn Leaves 2007
INSIDE
FALLSGROVE
400 Casey Lane • Rockville MD 20850
(240) 453-0150
Copy Editor
Sharyn Fuchs
Arthur Goldberg
Steve Nesbit
Editor
Sid Verner
Designer/Production
Deb Dulin
Staff Writers
Harriet Albersheim
Aubrey Bursch
Sharyn Fuchs
Arthur Goldberg
Steven Nesbit
Don Lipman
Staff Artist
Arthur Goldberg
Inside Fallsgrove is an independent bimonthly newspaper providing news and
information for the community of Fallsgrove
in Rockville, Maryland. Inside Fallsgrove
is published by the Property Owners
Association. It is not to be mistaken for
materials published by individual constituent
Home Owner’s Assocatiations. The POA is
responsible for the form, content and policies
of the newspaper. Inside Fallsgrove does
not espouse any political belief or endorse
any product or service. Articles submitted
for publication may be edited for length or
content. Inside Fallsgrove is not responsible
for any claims made by advertisers.
Advertisement Information
Inside Fallsgrove is published every other month. The next issue of Inside
Fallsgrove is the January issue. It will come out in mid-January, and the
deadline for advertisement submission is November 25, 2007.
We reserve the right to refuse ads and to change our minimum ad allowance.
Payment must accompany ads. We do not bill for advertisements, and our
advertising is non-commissionable.
Payable to: Fallsgrove Property Owners Association, Inc.
Send to: Fallsgrove Property Owners Association, Inc
Attention: Matt Fleming
400 Casey Lane
Rockville, Maryland 20850
(Payment must accompany ads at time of submission)
Ads must be sent as digital files in one of the following formats:
TIFF – 300 dpi
JPEG – 300 dpi
EPS files
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe PDF
Digital files should be sent to Deb Dulin via email at deb.dulin@gmail.
com (but won’t be processed until we receive your check). Payment shall
be mailed to Matt Fleming’s attention at the above mailing address.
Prices for advertising space in the Fallsgrove newsletter are:
Business cards size
Quarter page size
Half page size
Full page size
Full page, back cover
Classified
Announcements
(3 ½” x 2”)
(3 ¾” x 5”)
(8 ½” x 5”)
(8 ½” x 11”)
(8 ½” x 11”)
$30.00
$100.00
$200.00
$400.00
$1500.00
FREE
FREE
Purchasing ad space for a full year (6 issues) – 10% discount. Inside
Fallsgrove reserves the right to change our advertising rates
For more information, call Deb Dulin at 410-530-2722 or send an email to
[email protected].
IMPORTANT LOCAL NUMBERS
City of Rockville . . . . . . . 240-314-5000
Public Works
(water, sewer, st.) . . . . . . 240-314-8567
Waste Transfer. Station. . 301-840-2370
Rockville Police
• Emergency . . . . . . . . . . 301-340-7300
• Non-Emergency . . . . . . 240-314-8900
PEPCO Outages . . . . . . . 877-737-2662
Rockville Recreation
• Information . . . . . . . . . . 240-314-5023
• Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240-314-5055
• Special Events . . . . . . . 240-314-5022
Motor Vehicle Admin. . . . 800-950-1682
COMCAST . . . . . . . . . . . . 301-424-4400
Mont. Co. Public Schools . 301-279-3673
Verizon Repair . . . . . . . . . 800-275-2355
Fallsgrove Club House. . . 240-453-0150
Recycling. . . . . . . . . . . . . 240-777-6410
Fixing Street Lights . . . . . 240-314-8500
MD Poison Center . . . . . . 800-222-1222
PAGE 28
NEIGHBORHOOD SHOPPING THE WAY IT USED TO BE
R I G H T
Art & Frame Depot............................301-738-3433
Cheeburger Cheeburger ....................301-309-9555
Chevy Chase Bank ............................301-315-2471
Chipotle Mexican Grill......................301-838-9222
Bubbles....................................................301-251-1578
Fallsgrove Cleaners ............................301-279-2900
Fiore Floral ............................................301-738-2336
GameStop ..............................................301-279-6980
Haagen-Dazs..........................................301-279-2050
Hair Cuttery ........................................301-424-1052
Jerry’s Subs & Pizza ..........................301-424-3100
Krispy Kreme Doughnuts ................240-453-0334
A R O U N D
T H E
C O R N E R
Long & Foster Realtors ....................301-251-3040
Mamma Lucia ......................................301-762-8805
Moby Dick House of Kabob ............301-738-0005
Montgomery County
Wine & Liquor ............................240-773-2018
My Eye Dr. ............................................301-424-1050
Palm Beach Tan ..................................301-762-7046
Panera Bread ........................................301-545-1874
PNC Bank ............................................301-251-3800
Ritz Camera ..........................................301-294-8515
Safeway Food & Drug ......................301-944-1584
Smoothie King ......................................301-279-2660
Spalon Day Spa ....................................301-610-7733
Starbucks Coffee ................................301-315-0096
SunTrust Bank ....................................301-309-6289
Taipei Tokyo ........................................301-738-8813
TownHouse European Seating........240-314-0500
Wing Stop ..............................................301-309-9464
SHADY GROVE ROAD AT FALLSGROVE BOULEVARD
Fallsgrove Village Center is a neighborhood based shopping center designed to accommodate the daily needs of Rockville residents.
Conveniently located on Shady Grove Road, Fallsgrove provides customers with a variety of restaurants, services and retail.
For more information visit FallsgroveVillageCtr.com.

fallsgrove Nov07_2.indd

Transcription

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