Spring Ridge Online - Newsletter

At last! A ground-breaking for the new Spring Ridge Fire Station is scheduled for Saturday, September 30th (details to follow), and the Recreation Committee has tentative plans for a Safety theme for the day’s events which will encompass many things, from a renewed Neighborhood Watch push, to participation by the local police and Fire Chief.

The delays, of course have all been red tape and the county permitting process, but construction is finally about to commence. The presence of the Fire Station will bring a heightened degree of safety to the community and to each and every one of us living here. Be sure to inform your Homeowner’s Insurance Company when it’s finished, for they will likely grant a premium discount for an on-site Fire Station.

On another note, particularly in light of the upcoming property inspections which are conducted periodically by PMP, a serious mention needs to be made here concerning property condition and maintenance. Throughout the community, numerous homes have everything from poorly tended lawns, weeds, untrimmed bushes and shrubs, to missing shutters, peeling paint, rotting trim, and other more unsightly conditions.

Everyone who purchased here received the HOA Rules and Regulations, and agreed to abide by them. This agreement included keeping their property maintained and tended to. Failure to do so will decrease the homeowner’s property values, as well as the property values of everyone around them. Hideous lawns, junky backyards, and decaying structural items are an eyesore. And allowing maintenance to go will only make eventual repairs more costly, and create far more serious problems, such as water penetration on rotten wood trim, for example. Scraping and painting is pretty cheap; replacing wood trim is getting pricey; but repairing deep water damage and/or mold can be a nightmare. Overgrown weeds harbor snakes. Faded front doors and peeling trim are just plain ugly and give the place a run-down look.

Please take a moment to make a property inspection of your own home, and begin to address the issues that may be present. Much yard work can be done by the homeowner, but if you need professional assistance, there are many skilled contractors to choose from. Just be sure to ask for written estimates, time frames, and references.

General reminders: No lawn ornaments, no changing paint colors without HOA approval, tenants must take as much care of the property as owners, no trash cans, bikes, toys, or other items left out in the front of homes, and lawns must be manicured, weeded, and trimmed.

With a little extra effort, we can do ourselves and our neighbors a huge favor by keeping property values up, maintaining the asthetics and desirability of this community, and keeping it a pleasure to live here.

The Board thanks the Pool Committee and Century Pool for their excellent service this summer as we endured a week of 100 degree weather, AND the pools remained open.
Mark the 30th of September on your calendar, as there will be a community celebration for the ground breaking of the Spring Ridge Fire Station. There will be presentations by the United Fire Company and other safety related events.
Frederick County Schools begin their new session on August 28th, we ask motorists traveling through Spring Ridge to observe the posted speed limits and to be aware of the school children walking to school or standing at the bus stops.
There have been several incidents of vandalism within the Spring Ridge Community destroying soccer goals and tennis nets. The Frederick County Sheriff’s Office should be contacted if you see this type of destruction taking place. Also, please notify Management in the Visitor Center. The Neighborhood Watch group will be asking for volunteers to be “Block Captains” at the September 30th event.
The Board will be reviewing the procedures for submitting a waiver request to the Board, following a denial by the Architectural Change Committee.
During the past six months, questions have arisen regarding easements. Here is a brief summary: First, while requested by a third party, the easement is granted to Frederick County for the purpose of providing a service (water, sewer, or electricity). Second, after an initial reading by the Board, the request for easement is forwarded for legal review by the Association’s attorney. Finally, the application for easement is again reviewed by the Board to determine if the proposed request for service is reasonable AND will not permanently damage the property. A condition for all easements is that the ground be returned to the same natural state in which it started.
The Board has approved the painting of the Gazebo in the Newport Drive West area, and the maintenance of the common area grass behind Bradford Way.

Spring Ridge Fire Station Ground Breaking

Save the date! Saturday, September 30th at 11am. Mark your calendar and plan to attend the Ground Breaking for the new Spring Ridge Fire Station. Come with the whole family! Please contact Dawn Strayton at 301-631-5631 if you need additional information.

Calendar of Events

Sept.4 ~ Labor Day - Visitor Center Closed

7:45am - Check-in for 5K/1 Mile Fun Run/Walk at Visitor Center parking lot.

Sept.6 ~ 7pm - Sharks Meeting at VC

Sept.8 ~ 4pm - ACC Application Submission Deadline

Sept.9 ~ Noon to 6pm - Community Pool Party (RAIN DATE: September 10th at same time)

Sept.11 ~ 7pm - Recreation Committee Meeting at VC

Sept.12 ~ 7pm - Pool Committee Meeting at VC

Sept.13 ~ 7pm - ACC Meeting at VC

Sept.16 ~ 8am to 2pm - Community Yard Sale (RAIN DATE: September 23rd at same time)

Sept.17 ~ 8:30pm - Pools Close for Season

Sept.19 ~ 7pm - Conservancy BOD Meeting at VC

Sept.20 ~ 7pm - FAN Club Social at VC

Sept.30 ~ 11am - Spring Ridge Fire Station Ground Breaking Ceremony

Lost and Found

Found: Girls 20 inch bicycle. If you think this bicycle could be yours, please contact Management in the Visitor Center at 301-620-0782 and be prepared to provide a description of the bicycle in order to claim it.

Annual Meeting and Election

The Spring Ridge Conservancy Annual Meeting will be held at Spring Ridge Elementary on November 2nd at 7pm. At that time, there will be an election for three (3) positions opening on the Board of Directors. A “Call For Nomination” letter will be mailed to each owner soon, if you haven’t received it already. If you would like to get more involved in your HOA, now is the time to step forward.

Serving on the Board is rewarding because essentially you are “giving” back to your community. Come join the Board and really find out what is happening in your community. Please contact Richard Gemmell, Community Manager, at 301-620-0782 or richard.ag@pmpbiz.com, if you are interested in finding out more about serving on the Board.

Power Outage Safety Tips

The following Safety Tips for Power Outages/Blackouts are provided by the American Red Cross:

For Rent: Townhouse @ North Top Sail Beach, NC. Ocean front townhouse, Approximately 45 minutes north of Wilmington, NC. 3 Bedrooms, Sleeps 8 comfortably, 2 Full baths, Full kitchen, Dishwasher, Washer/Dryer, CCTV, Central Air/Central Heat, and Off-street parking. Will rent to families or persons over 25 years old. Pets are allowed for an additional fee. Contact Tony at 301-682-9858.

Vacation Rentals: Westin Club Regina in either Cancun or Puerto Vllarta or Los Cabos, Mexico. 7 nights, Studio to a 2 bedroom depending on week selected, $900.00-$1,200.00 per week, Multiple weeks possible. Park Plaza - Park City, Utah. 1 bedroom, Sleeps 4, Full kitchen, Weekly rentals on the following weeks: 1/7/07, 1/14/07, 1/21/07, 1/28/07, 2/4/07, 2/11/07, 2/25/07, 3/4/07, 3/11/07, and 3/25/07 ($900.00 per week), Enclosed swimming pool, spa, sauna, and shuttle service. For either of the above rentals, please contact Nancy at 301-293-0146.

For Rent: Orlando/Disney House. 4 Bedroom 3 bath, Lakeside, Private screened pool/hot tub, 7 Miles to Disney, Close to shopping/dinning/attractions, Free long distance & international calls. Fall special from $110.00 per night. Visa/MasterCard. Call 301-371-5911 or visit www.orlandoinstyle.com

For Sale: Couch and Matching Love Seat. Both recline, Pastel colored print. Mostly blue and beige, and in very good condition. Will take best offer. 301-694-1255. Note: The phone number for this ad was printed incorrectly in the August newsletter. The correct number is listed above. We apologize for the error.

The Spring Ridge Sharks had another great season! All the swimmers worked hard and earned a well deserved firs place trophy in Division II. They would like to thank their Head Coaches: Roni Nasuti and Audrey Wells, and Assistant Coaches: Ryan Murphy, Karen Younkins, Lisa Carr, Kendall Klosky, Jen Dickson, and Tom Courtney.

The swimmers couldn’t have made it through the season without their parents help at each and every meet, from serving at the concession stand to standing for hours timing their events, many thanks to all of them!!

The Spring Ridge Sharks Committee would also like to thank PMP for their support of our swimmers, along with the Pool Committee and their continued efforts to work with the schedule.

Thanks also go to the Century Pool lifeguard staff and their willingness to work with our swimmers along with our committee (and always with a smile).

The Sharks enjoy a lot of support - the effort is worth it when you see these young people become closer as friends, live the meaning of team work, while developing self esteem and pride within themselves.

If you would like to become involved with the team next year, there is a Shark’s Meeting on Wednesday, September 6that 7pm in the Visitor Center. Anyone is welcome.

Johannes Gross & Gary Roeder
Co-Chairs of the Sharks

FAN Club Kicking Off New Season!

The “Spring Ridge Friends and Neighbors Club (FAN Club)” is kicking off a new year!

One and all – new neighbors, old friends, curious-about-FAN Club, or returning after many years, All are invited to join us for a “Chocolate FANtasy” at our September social!!

We meet Wednesday, September 20th at 7pm in the Visitor Center. Come for conversation, come for information about the group, come for a good time, and especially come to sample some scrumptious chocolate desserts. We offer a variety of Interest Groups that meet monthly such as Book Club, Wine Tasting, Lunch Bunch, Beer FANatics, Chick Flick, TWO Bunco groups, and a Dinner group. We also host “themed” parties throughout the year featuring special foods, inventive costumes, and sometimes live music! Come join in!

Call Ann Mamula (President) at 301-620-8895 or Lynne Warburton (Membership Chairperson) at 301-662-8610 for more information.

Thank you to the Freddie Long Band for another successful concert. Once again fun was had by all. The last concert of the season was held at the pool on August 26th.

Thank you to Kelly Crispell, Melinda Yuhas, and Dawn Strayton for all of your hard work coordinating the Summer Concert Series. We would also like to thank the Pool Committee and the lifeguards for allowing the concerts to safely and successfully take place at the pool.

Attention Little Dribblers ages 3-5. We are looking to start the new soccer season every Saturday in the month of October. As of right now WE NEED VOLUNTEERS TO RUN THIS PROGRAM. If you are interested, please contact Melinda Yuhas at 301-228-3831.

Please mark your calendar for the upcoming Children’s Halloween Party at the Visitor Center in October. We need volunteers to help with this event. Please contact Heidi Hambrecht at 301-846-7918 if you would like to be involved.

Look in October’s newsletter for more information on the Adult Halloween Party to take place at Whiskey Creek Golf Club.

We had an outstanding turnout for this year’s Adult Pool Party. Over Seventy (70) people were in attendance enjoying the food, dancing, and some swimming (Not all of them by choice!). Thank you to Kim Shull, Melinda Yuhas, Michele Kavanagh, James and Tina Gamble for helping with set-up and all the party goers who stayed behind to help with clean-up. A special thanks to Dempsey’s Caterers for the awesome food and Music Pak D.J.’s for the wonderful music.

The Fall Community Yard Sale is Saturday, September 16th from 8am-2pm (RAIN DATE: September 23rd at the same time). When you drop off your $1.00 registration form to the Visitor Center, please pick up a blue and white balloon to display on your mailbox. Townhouses can tie them to their table. The maps will still be available at the Visitor Center the day of the sale. PLEASE HAVE YOUR MONEY TO THE VISITOR CENTER BY WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13TH IF YOU WANT TO BE ON THE MAP. The $1.00 fee is to cover the cost of advertising in the Gazette and the Frederick News Post. The Registration Form can be found in this newsletter. If you have any questions, please contact Christine Clark at 301-624-5489 or Tina Gamble at 301-228-3676.

The next Recreation Committee Meeting will be held Monday, September 11th at 7pm in the Visitor Center. ALL ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND! We are looking for eager committee members ready to lead us in 2007. Please consider joining the Recreation Committee today!

It was under an ideal sky on Friday, August 18th that the Teen Pool Party was held with 157 kids showing up. For this type of party, it was the most well attended in our pool’s history. Lively volleyball games were added this year to an already exciting agenda of swimming, dancing, pizza, sodas, and DJ music from Diego of Soundsations.

We thank the parent volunteers who stayed to help with the vital sign-ins and sign-outs, as well as chaperone and serve pizza. We will, however, need more help next year as the number of attendees is growing.

It is evident that the parents of the youngsters are doing a great job of raising these kids as their behavior was stellar and worthy of praise. AND indeed, praise did come...from Diego, the DJ. He commented on the thoughtfulness of our young people. He said that they showed concern about his audio equipment. They were extra cautious so that it wouldn’t get wet. Great job teens of Spring Ridge! Keep it up!

Other Matters:
One stark reality of operations for the pools is that we have big water bills. We have to pay not only for the water in the pools, but for the bathrooms too. When you play in the showers or with the water in the sinks, the bills go higher. Please emphasize this point to your children who are doing this. As stated before, we have wonderful kids here, but some have to learn about wasting water.

Another matter is related to “accidents” in the pools. One minor incident will close the pool for everyone for an entire day. So, if you see signs of stomach or other physical discomfort in your young child, don’t bring him/her to the pools.

We are presently working on the 2007 Budget: if you have any input or concerns, contact the committee at springridgepool@adelphia.net and/or attend the meeting.

We want to remind you to clean up any trash you might have left on the deck or around the pools. That will also convey appreciation to the Lifeguards.

We still need new members for the Pool Committee. It’s an extremely worthwhile investment of your time. Come to our committee meetings, which are generally held on the second Tuesday of the month at 7pm. Dates and times of Pool Committee Meetings are subject to change. Check the roadside marquee! You can also visit springridgepool@adelphia.net.

Extended Pool Season:
The last day of pool operations is Sunday, September 17th. Here is the schedule for when Frederick County Schools are in session:

Regular Hours of 10:30am-8:30pm on weekends, and September 12th which is Frederick County Primary Election Day and Public Schools are Closed. On Labor Day Monday (September 4th) the pools will be open 10:30am-6pm. Also see the September Pool Calendar in this newsletter.

Sharkey’s Tip:
If you have an issue or a personal comment to make to a Lifeguard, please refrain from doing so while he/she is in the chair monitoring the pools. Wait for them to finish their shift, or better yet if anything is urgent, speak to the Manager or Assistant Manger on duty.

Sponsored by the Central Maryland Parkinson Disease Outreach,
a Chapter of the American Parkinson Disease Association

Bill Ruff was diagnosed with Parkinson Disease two months after moving to Spring Ridge in 1998. Bill started the Walk as his way of raising funds to help find a cure. He is very proud of our efforts and the many thousands of dollars donated toward Parkinson research. Parkinson Disease is a slowly progressive neurodegenerative disorder. More than one and one half (1 ½) million people are diagnosed with Parkinson Disease in the United States. It affects about 1 in 100 Americans over the age of 60 years and it is estimated that 5 to 10 percent are diagnosed prior to the age of 40.

Let’s help Bill Ruff and others diagnosed with Parkinson Disease.
Mark your calendars and plan to come to this family fun event!

To register online: www.parkinson.kintera.org OR for more information, call Bill or Thea Ruff at 301-682-9009.

The Frederick County Sheriff’s Department passed on some crime information, which has plagued some of the seniors living in and around Frederick County. I wanted to pass this information on to the community as a whole to ensure not only the seniors living in our community are aware of the danger but also all residents can be on the look out. Be alert for yourselves and each other.

A female victim, age 81, was approached by a man who was a passenger in a silver van parked on the street. The man asked the victim to show him the property line and claimed he was going to be installing a fence for her neighbor. The victim agreed and walked with the man to the back of the house for a few minutes. When they returned to the front yard, the silver van was parked in the victim’s driveway. The man returned to the van and left the area. Two days later the victim contacted police after she noticed jewelry missing.

A similar incident occurred in September 2005 in Myersville. The victim, age 73, was approached by a man, also traveling in a van, who claimed he worked for a local landscaping company. He asked the victim to show him the property line and advised he was going to be doing some work behind her property. The victim agreed and walked with the man to the rear of the property for approximately 20 minutes. After the man left, the victim returned inside her home and found that several rooms had been ransacked and items such as cash, jewelry and a safe were missing.

The Neighborhood Watch has been made aware of recent crimes dealing with juveniles in the community. Information has been noted and I have met with the Board of Directors as well as the Frederick County Sheriff’s Department in an effort to reduce and hopefully stop the mischief homeowners are dealing with. As information becomes available I will pass it on, but understand, it is being addressed. We really need the community to become pro-active on this one. If you see individuals behaving or acting in a manner you deem to be criminal or just irregular, please call the Sheriff’s Department at 301-694-2071. They will dispatch someone out as quickly as they can and will identify the individuals at a minimum. Never approach anyone yourself, leave the police work to the police and as always, emergencies dial 911.

Until next month, take care and enjoy the weather, summer is passing by! As always, if you have any information you would like to share with the community or if you would like to be included on our neighborhood watch e-mail list, please contact me at the address below. Thank you!
Clay Townshend
Spring Ridge Neighborhood Watch Chairperson
scout1412@yahoo.com