Archive | 2014

Santa at a NEW LOCATION

This Sunday, Dec 14 from 2-4pm Santa will be visiting us at Christ Church Parish Hall in Chaptico on Zach Fowler Rd.  This location is a short, less than 5 minute drive from any house in Country Lakes. We chose an indoor location since we dealt with cold/icy weather conditions in recent years, which resulted in low turn out. We hope you will bring the kids and your neighborhood friends out on Sunday to visit us and meet with Santa! There will be snacks, crafts and other goodies. We hope to see you there.

Newsletter: July – December 2014

Santa to Visit Us at a New Location this Year

‘Tis the Season for Santa to visit Country Lakes.  Due to inclement weather and freezing temperatures resulting in low turnouts in past years, Santa will visit us at Christ Church Parish Hall on Zach Fowler Road in Chaptico this year!

Come see us from 2-4pm in the warmth of the indoors for some holiday cheer.  Your CLHA board members will be on hand with snacks and drinks. Avoid the lines and cost at the mall and bring the kids for a visit with Santa, where you are welcome to snap pictures and chat with your neighbors! We hope to see you on Sunday afternoon!

Trunk or Treat was a Howling Good Time

Thanks to everyone who came out for Trunk or Treat at the CLHA park on October 31. It was a nice evening with plenty of kids, costumes, candy, heat (from the bonfire!), and fun! Thanks to all our neighbors who dressed up, decorated trunks, and passed out candy. View our pictures from the event here.

Join our Virtual Online Neighborhood at Facebook

Have you seen the CLHA Facebook page? It’s an easy and quick way to communicate with your neighbors and board members directly. We currently have 264 followers, but our posts often go viral, extending to “friends” of those followers as well. Our most popular post in the 2nd half of 2014 reached more than 8,000 people on Facebook; It was about a lost dog in the community. Friendly Puggle Winston went viral and found his owners thanks to our Facebook page! Join now.

Reserving the Pavilion and Lighted Message Sign

DID YOU KNOW: As a resident member of CLHA, you can reserve the pavilion and post personal messages on the lighted message sign, both located in the CLHA common area at the corner of Asher Road & Cox Drive?

These are benefits provided to you as a member of the Association. The main requirement for reserving both is that your dues must be paid in full.

To request a CLHA pavilion or lighted sign reservation, select “My HOA” and then click on either “Reserve the Pavilion” or “Reserve the Sign” and follow the stated instructions. A response should follow within a few days.

Please make any pavilion or lighted sign reservation request as early as possible – no later than 2 weeks in advance! Reservations for the pavilion and lighted sign are accepted on a qualified first-come, first served basis.

Requests can also be made by leaving a voice mail message at 301-884-7297.  Please give your name, address, requested dates, and a call back number.

CLHA dues records are listed by address. If you have any questions concerning your membership dues status, please complete this form.

More About the Pavilion 

The CLHA pavilion is a great place to hold a gathering of family or friends and it’s FREE. The common area playground and ball fields are located nearby. An electrical output is available and two fixed charcoal grills near the pavilion can be used for outdoor cooking.

The CLHA pavilion can only be reserved for private, personal get-togethers such as birthday parties, anniversary celebrations, family reunions, and picnics. The pavilion cannot be reserved for organizational meetings or for any fund raising efforts.

 More About the Lighted Sign

Personal, non-commercial messages (for birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, graduations, etc.,) can be posted on the CLHA lighted sign.

 The charge is $5 per day for a maximum of 5 days, payable in advance.

Neighborhood Safety

We just wanted to remind you all to be mindful of your surroundings. Get to know your neighbors. Look out for one another. If you see anything suspicious happening in Country Lakes, or witness any crime, please call the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Dept. at 301-475-8008.  If you are interested in joining our Neighborhood Watch Program, please contact Donald “Pud” Graham at 301-884-5236 or 301-717-6474.

Looking for Board Members

We always welcome you to join our board meetings and consider joining the board of directors. We are a group of residents that volunteer to help manage the maintenance and events throughout the community.  It is because of all of our (and your) dues that we are able to maintain the park and have these fun events.  We are always looking for help and volunteers, so please consider participating.  New ideas and suggestions for events and community interaction are always welcome and encouraged. Volunteer here.

Donate Old Vehicles to Charity

If you have a vehicle that you are not using, please consider donating it to a charitable cause.  Many charities may even remove the car for you and and give you a receipt for tax write-off.   Disabled vehicles are considered an eyesore to many in the neighborhood, and possibly deter people from purchasing a home here in Country Lakes.   Additionally, they could cause injury to someone playing in or around them.  Please consider donating them.

Yearly Dues Reminder

The past due dues notices have been mailed out to the delinquent residents.  We need your dues paid promptly as there are a few very expensive projects that the Country Lakes Homeowner’s Association, Inc. will be undertaking this coming year.  All of your paid dues ensures we will be operate at our fullest capacity and offer events to you for your enjoyment such as Trunk or Treat, National Night Out, Santa’s Visit, Meet and Greet,  keeping the park, ball fields, basketball court, and tennis court maintained.  Please drop your check in the mail to us today to avoid possible further action as outlined in the Declaration of Covenants and Conditions and Restrictions. To check your dues status, complete this form.

UPCOMING COMMUNITY EVENTS

CLHA Board Meetings

Our Board Meetings are held every four weeks on
Tuesdays at either the park pavilion (during warm months) or the Christ Church Parish Hall on Zack Fowler Rd. in Chaptico (during cold months). Upcoming meeting dates for the first quarter of 2015 are as follows (and will be at the Parish Hall): 

  • Jan 6
  • Feb 3
  • Mar 3
  • Mar 31

All meetings are at 7pm and last a maximum of 2 hours. Please bring your ideas/suggestions/complaints and we’ll try our best to address them appropriately.

Santa Visit – Sun, Dec 14

This year we’ve moved the event to Christ Church Parish Hall on Zach Fowler Rd in Chaptico. Come see Santa from 2-4pm in the warmth of the indoors!

Holiday Decorating Contest – Wed, Dec 17

The CLHA Board will be voting on the best houses in the neighborhood, so be sure to turn on your lights from 7-9pm. Three lucky winners will receive free 2015 HOA dues!

Newsletter: April – June 2014

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Next Community Event: National Night Out

Bring your family down to the park on Tuesday, August 5 from 6-8pm for National Night Out. Various local organizations will be in attendance, such as the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Department, SMECO, Mechanicsville Volunteer Fire Department and EMS, MEDSTAR St. Mary’s Hospital, and more. See demonstrations and meet the folks behind the organizations!

CLHA Board members will be on hand to grill hamburgers and hotdogs. There will be various door prizes and lots of fun games for the kids. Special thanks to Laser Lube of California, Md. and Patuxent River Naval Air Museum for donating door prizes. More to come! Let’s all hope and pray for good weather and a great neighborhood turn-out! See you on the 5th.

Protect Your Pets in the Summer Months

While it may be tempting to take your pets along for a car ride, remember that it is too hot during the summer months to leave them in the car unattended (even with the windows down or the A/C on). DID YOU KNOW: On a warm day, temperatures inside a vehicle can rise rapidly to dangerous levels. On an 85-degree day, for example, the temperature inside a car with the windows opened slightly can reach 102 degrees within 10 minutes. After 30 minutes, the temperature will reach 120 degrees. Your pet may suffer irreversible organ damage or die. Learn more about helping your pets cope with the heat by clicking here.

Recent Local Crimes

There have been several local armed robberies in our part of the county lately. Local crime solvers have identified and charged suspects in these cases; however, please be reminded to be aware of your surroundings at all times. It is the awareness and alertness of our neighbors that aide in helping the local Sheriff’s department solve these crimes and keep our area safe. If you have any information or witness any crime, please call the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Dept. at 301-475-8008.

Neighborhood Watch Program

There are currently 5 neighbors participating in our Neighborhood Watch Program, but we are always accepting newcomers. Please complete our online form or contact Donald “Pud” Graham at 301-884-5236 or 301-717-6474.

Looking for Board Members

We always welcome you to join our board meetings and consider joining the board of directors. We are a group of residents that volunteer to help manage the maintenance and events throughout the community.  It is because of all of our (and your) dues that we are able to maintain the park and have these fun events.  We are always looking for help and volunteers, so please consider participating.  New ideas and suggestions for events and community interaction are always welcome and encouraged. Sign up here.

Help Keep Our Pavilion Clean

We have recently repaired and repainted some of the tables and rafters at the pavilion. Please urge your children to respect all equipment at the common area in Country Lakes. Thank you for your cooperation!

Yearly Dues Reminder

You should have received your yearly dues statement in June. The due date was July 1 to avoid a $5 late fee. Please contact us immediately (and include your name and address) if you have any questions about your dues. Check your dues here or Email: propertymanagement@clha.org

Upcoming Community Events | View Calendar

CLHA Board Meetings

Our Board Meetings are held every four weeks on Tuesdays at either the park pavilion (during warm months) or the Christ Church Parish Hall on Zack Fowler Rd. in Chaptico (during cold months). Upcoming meeting dates for the third quarter of 2014 are as follows:

  • Sept 16

All meetings are at 7pm and last a maximum of 2 hours. Please bring your ideas/suggestions/complaints and we’ll try our best to address them appropriately.

National Night Out – Tues, Aug 5

Come to the park to meet your CLHA board and local community organizations. Food, fun, and prizes! Thanks to Laser Lube of California, Md. and Patuxent River Naval Air Museum for donating door prizes for this event. More to come!

Got Worms? Inchworms aka Cankerworms

GOT WORMS? Cankerworms – the little inch worms hanging from the trees on silk… Here are some websites to helpful information about these insects:

http://plantdiagnostics.umd.edu/level3.cfm?causeID=1372

http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2558.html

http://ento.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/pdf/fallcankerworm.pdf

Probably the best advice is to remember “This too shall pass…” They will be gone soon, as they enter pupation. There is one generation per year. Will they come back next year? Maybe, but insect populations are cyclical and within a couple of years the populations will crash and the problem will go away.

One year of defoliation early in the season is usually not too damaging to trees unless they are under stress anyway. Pesticides will probably not prevent the nuisance factor. For now, try a broom to sweep them away and keep them from hitting you in the face. Large numbers can be washed away with a hose and sprayer with some soap in it.

Hope this helps…

Newsletter: Jan – Mar 2014

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Community Yard Sale: Saturday, April 26

Gather up your junk! Clean our your closets! Your trash could be another person’s treasure! We have organized our Spring Community Yard Sale event for this coming Saturday, April 26 at 7am.  You are welcome to set up at the common area parking lot or in your own yard (or combine areas with your neighbors and friends)!

We have advertised online at Baynet.com and SOMD.com and included addresses and details from those of you that submitted them to us. We also posted signs at the entrances on Cox Dr and Yowaiski Mill. Feel free to post your own ads and signs as well.
We hope for great weather and plenty of shoppers this weekend.  Good luck to each of you!

Adopt-a-Road Clean-Up Day

Saturday, April 5, was our Spring community clean up day. We had 11 people participate including community service workers and some volunteers from Country Lakes (Thanks neighbors!).  The county Public Works Dept. supplied street signs, bags and trash pick-up sticks for our use.  For this event we cleaned the park area, Asher Rd, Yowaiski Mill, and  Tin Top School Rd from Asher across Yowaiski to the end.  We started at 9:00 am and finished by 12:30 pm.

Thank you to everyone that helped out with the organization, pickup, and hauling of the bags and debris from this event. Contact us at 301-884-7297 or CLHA.org if you are interested in volunteering for the next event in the Fall.

 

Always Looking for Board Members

We always welcome you to join our board meetings and consider joining the board of directors. We are a group of residents that volunteer to help manage the maintenance and events throughout the community.  It is because of all of our (and your) dues that we are able to maintain the park and have these fun events.

We are always looking for help and volunteers, so please consider participating.  New ideas and suggestions for events and community interaction are always welcome and encouraged.

Special Announcements & Neighborhood News

Theft at Vacant Homes

There are several homes in our community that are unoccupied for various reasons and many of them have been burglarized and vandalized. Please be aware of activity at vacant homes that may be near you. Several homes were burglarized in April (West Lakeland, Asher, Yowaiski). If you have any information related to these incidents, or may have noticed something out of the ordinary on these properties, please leave an anonymous message at 301-884-7297 or call the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Dept. at 301-475-8008.

Help Keep Our Playground Safe

We have recently replaced some of the older, more worn and broken swings at the playground. There have been reports of people throwing the swings over the top bar of the swing set causing the chains to tangle and the swings to be unusable. Please urge your children to respect the playground equipment in an effort to keep the area safe for kids of all ages. Thank you for your cooperation!

Call Miss Utility Before You Dig

With nice weather comes outdoor projects and honey-do lists! Please be sure to cover all your bases before starting those decks, additions, and anything else that may require you to dig. You can go online at www.missutility.net/maryland/ or call 1-800-257-7777. Miss Utility is also on Twitter and Facebook.

Springtime Safety

Welcome, Spring! We are glad to finally see warmer temperatures and flipflop weather. When working in your yard, please be mindful of critters and animals that are also emerging, such as snakes, rabbits, spiders, and ants! Wear boots or sturdy shoes when weeding, and don’t forget the gloves to prevent blisters and contact with various poisons (Ivy, Oak, etc.)

Neighborhood Watch Program

There are currently 5 neighbors participating in our Neighborhood Watch Program, but we are always accepting newcomers. Please complete our online form at CLHA.org or contact Donald “Pud” Graham at 301-884-5236 or 301-717-6474.

Upcoming Events

CLHA Board Meetings

Our Board Meetings are held every four weeks on
Tuesdays at either the park pavilion (during warm months) or the Christ Church Parish Hall on Zack Fowler Rd. in Chaptico (during cold months). Upcoming meeting dates for the first quarter of 2014 are as follows:

  • April 29,
  • May 27, and
  • June 24.

All meetings are at 7pm and last a maximum of 2 hours. Please bring your ideas/suggestions/complaints and we’ll try our best to address them appropriately.

Community Yard Sale – Sat, Apr 26

We have advertised on Baynet and SOMD.com and posted signs at our entrances. Set up in your yard or at the parking lot at the park (on a first come, first served basis).

Want to Volunteer? Call 301-884-7297

When calling our voice mail, your phone number must accept blocked numbers to receive a call back.

Newsletter: Oct – Dec 2013

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2013-14 Board Elections: Meet your executive directors for this year

We held our annual Meet & Greet and Board Elections on Tuesday, Dec 10 at the Christ Church Parish Hall in Chaptico, Maryland.  Only one member of the community, with the exception of the board, attended this event. We hope you will consider joining us for next year’s elections. It is your suggestions and involvement that is necessary to make our community a better place to live.

The Country Lakes Homeowners Association 2014 Executive Board is as follows:
President/Secretary: Elaine Green, president@clha.org
(NEW) Vice President: Mark Pullium, vicepresident@clha.org
Treasurer: James Loveless, treasurer@clha.org

A special thanks goes out to these folks, in addition to the board of directors that comprises our community HOA.  This group of volunteers manage all aspects of upkeep to the park, entrance, and events throughout the year. It is your yearly dues that allow us to maintain the community and for that we appreciate each and every one of you as well. Thanks!

2013 Christmas Decorations Winner: FREE DUES

The winners of the CLHA Christmas Decorating Contest are below. These folks receive FREE dues for 2014. Congrats neighbors!

26869 Kelli Court  •  26372 Tin Top School Road  •  37045 West Spicer Drive

If you are interested in being a part of the voting process, come join the board. It only takes a few hours of your time each month to participate.

Adopt-a-Road Clean Up

Saturday, November 2, was community clean up day. We had seven community service workers and two families from Country Lakes help out.  The wooded area at the Park was targeted, along with Asher Rd nearby.   We then moved to Tin Top School Rd. and picked up between Asher & Yowaiski Mill. The entire stretch of Yowaiski Mill Rd was also cleaned up.  Approximately 30 bags were filled and other larger debris picked up as well.  We started at 9:15 a.m. and finished by noon.

Thank you to everyone that helped out with the organization, pickup, and hauling of the bags and debri from this event. Contact us at 301-884-7297 or here if you are interested in volunteering for the next event in the Spring.

CLHA Board Meetings

Our Board Meetings are held every four weeks on Tuesdays at either the park pavilion (during warm months) or the Christ Church Parish Hall on Zack Fowler Rd. in Chaptico (during cold months). Upcoming meeting dates for the first quarter of 2014 are as follows:

  • January 7,
  • February 4, and
  • March 4.

All meetings are at 7pm and last a maximum of 2 hours. Please bring your ideas/suggestions/complaints and we’ll try our best to address them appropriately.

Event Calendar To Be Decided

The CLHA board of directors will discuss and set the dates for the 2014 community events at our first board meeting on January 7. Stay tuned for the calendar to be updated here and on Facebook as well.

Damage at the Park

There was some damage to the basketball court fence at the park on or around November 6, 2013. It appears to have come from a vehicle. If you have any information related to this incident, please e-mail president@clha.org or leave an anonymous message at 301-884-7297. View pictures of the damage.

Neighborhood Watch Program

There are currently 5 neighbors participating in our Neighborhood Watch Program, but we are always accepting newcomers. Please complete our online form or contact Donald “Pud” Graham at 301-884-5236 or 301-717-6474.

Trunk or Treat 2013

We had beautiful weather for Halloween on October 31st and many of you joined us at the park for our annual Trunk-or-Treat event. We even had a bonfire this year, so we hope you enjoyed it. See you next time.

Santa’s Visit at the Park

While the weather for Trunk-or-Treat was unseasonably warm, the weather for Santa’s visit was the opposite. It was a very cold, very icy winter day at the park on Sunday, December 8.  Unfortunately, this prevented many of you from coming to see Santa. We only had about 20 kids total, but we still had treats, plenty of hot chocolate, a craft workshop, and a special table for sending holiday cards to soldiers.  Thanks to all who participated and braved the icy, cold weather and special thanks to the board for organizing the event. View pictures.

Want to Volunteer?

Call 301-884-7297 or go here.
When calling our voice mail, your phone number must accept blocked numbers to receive a call back.

BELOW ZERO WIND CHILL ALERT

There is a wind chill advisory in effect for St. Mary’s County starting tonight. Please remember to bring your pets inside!

… Wind Chill Advisory remains in effect from midnight tonight to
6 PM EST Tuesday…

* wind chill… 5 below to 15 below zero.

* Timing… tonight through Tuesday. The lowest wind chills are
expected to occur after midnight tonight through Tuesday
morning.

* Temperatures… falling into the teens this evening… then lows
in the single digits tonight and highs in the teens Tuesday.

* Winds… west 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 35 mph. Gusts up to
45 mph are possible over north-central Maryland this evening.

* Impacts… dangerously low wind chills could then lead to
frostbite and hypothermia Monday evening through Tuesday.

Precautionary/preparedness actions…

A Wind Chill Advisory means that very cold air and strong winds
will combine to generate low wind chills. This will result in
frost bite and lead to hypothermia if precautions are not taken.
If you must venture outdoors… make sure you wear a hat and
gloves.

See more online at Weather Underground.