Archive | Special News & Announcements

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We will post any local news that pertains to Country Lakes in this area, in addition to any special announcements the HOA may have for its residents and members throughout the year.

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: 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.

Newsletter: July-Sept 2013

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National Night Out

National Night Out was a huge success.  Many community organizations were on hand to meet us and provide fun demonstrations, including St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Department, Maryland State Police, Mechanicsville Volunteer FIre Department and Rescue Squad, SMECO, and Medstar St. Mary’s Hospital. We had lots of food and games, and even some door prizes. A special thanks goes out to our volunteer board members for organizing this fun event…. and also to our community organizations for taking time out of their busy day to join us.

1st Annual Fall Community Yard Sale

Despite the gloomy weather we experienced in May for our Spring Yard Sale, we continued with resident requests to host a Fall event.  It was a wonderful idea and ended up being a beautiful day for a yard sale.
Many homes in the community were setup and several people were also set up at the parking lot.  It was a busy day for all and we are happy it turned out so well. We will certainly continue the twice-a-year tradition in the future! Thanks for your suggestions!

Remaining 2013 Community Events

CLHA Board Meetings –

Our Board Meetings are being held every four weeks on Tuesdays at either the park pavilion or the Christ Church Parish Hall on Zack Fowler Rd. in Chaptico. Upcoming meeting dates for the fourth quarter of 2013 are as follows:
October 29, November 26 (tentative), December 10 (Board Elections), and December 17 (tentative).
All meetings are at 7pm and last about 2 hours. Please bring your ideas/suggestions/complaints and we’ll try our best to address them appropriately.

Trunk or Treat

Join us at the park for this event on Thursday, October 31 at 6-8 pm. Decorate your car, yourselves, your friendly pets, your kids, and bring candy….and lots of it! This is a very popular event.

Adopt a Road Community Clean-up

Volunteer to beautify your community (or maybe just the road on which you reside) on Saturday, November 2. Meet at the pavilion at 9am if you are interested in joining us or call 301-884-7297 or webmaster@clha.org for more information.

Christmas Party with Santa

Santa will visit the CLHA park pavilion on Sunday, December 8 from 2-4pm. Bring your kids down to meet him and enjoy hot chocolate and other treats.

Special Announcements

Board Elections in December

Each year, we hold elections for the executive positions of our CLHA board. Any resident that has resided on the board for 1 full year is eligible to run for office. All residents are eligible to vote, but must do so in person at our “Meet and Greet” event on Tuesday, Dec 10 at 7pm. Please join us at Christ Church Parish hall on Zach Fowler Road in Chaptico to meet the nominees and place your vote.

Do you need a Thermal Expansion Tank?

Metcom updated our water meters this summer and found that many homes needed backflow prevention devices installed. They installed the devices and alerted homeowners of the possible need for a Thermal Expansion Tank. Please contact Dan Roys at Metcom at 301-737-7400 ext 306 with questions. You should also consult with your plumber regarding the need for a Thermal Expansion Tank. See CLHA.org for a short list of possible plumbers.

Neighborhood Watch Program

We have had our initial meeting of the community watch program. We are always accepting newcomers. If you are interested in joining this cause, please complete our online form at clha.org or contact Donald “Pud” Graham at 301-884-5236 or 301-717-6474.

Too Busy to Volunteer?
Here are some tips for making your home and property less likely to be a target for crime:
Shrubbery /Trees/Outbuildings: Planting bushes or building structures that limit the view of doors and windows may give you a feeling of privacy, but in fact, do the opposite. They prevent neighbors from noticing an intruder and provide hiding spots for criminals as well.
Outdoor Lighting: Well lit approach areas around garages and doors act as a deterrent for robbers. Motion sensor lights work well and conserve electricity as they only light when activated.
Alarms: They are effective against intrusion when properly installed and maintained. Panic alarms that can be activated by a member of your household that emit loud sirens will normally frighten away intruders when activated. A silent alarm allows law enforcement to respond without alerting the intruder.
Know Your Neighbors: If your neighbors are familiar with you and your family, vehicles, etc. they may notice suspicious activity or vehicular traffic that may give the police clues to solving crimes in the area.
Please continue to report all vandalism and crimes to the St. Mary’s County Sheriffs Department. Knowledge is key to preventing and solving future crimes.

Park Pavilion Repairs Postponed

The initial Improvements to the pavilion scheduled for September 2013 had to be postponed due to lack of funds to support the project. Stay tuned for an exact date of construction.

Adopt A Road Program

We have adopted the three entrance roads to Country Lakes in an attempt at beautifying our community. We hope that you will help in this effort to keep our roads and their shoulders free of litter. We will set up 2-3 community service days per year and may ask for your help. Have you noticed the signs on Cox Dr., Asher Rd., and Yowaiski Mill Rd.? Contact us at 301-884-7297 www.clha.org if you are interested in volunteering.

Using Facebook to Communicate

Many of your neighbors (159 as of October 28) are actively using the CLHA Facebook page to communicate about things happening in the neighborhood.  It’s a great way to know rather quickly when dogs are loose, or if you notice suspicious activity anywhere within the community. It’s even been used to located owners of lost items at the park. Feel free to use it to contact us with any questions about the HOA.  We welcome all your posts and work hard to repost and/or answer your inquiries as soon as we are able.

Want to Volunteer?

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

Thank you for your interest. Complete this form for details.

 

Verification

6 Runner Safety Tips

It’s summer. That means warmer weather, more daylight, people out and about enjoying the sunshine-it has to be safer to run outdoors, right? Wrong.

Generally speaking, yes, it is safer to run when it’s light out, as opposed to when it’s dark, but there’s something that happens to most of us during daylight-we feel invincible. And this is just as hazardous as running by ourselves at midnight on a poorly lit street.

According to a UNIFEM report, one in three American women will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime with the abuser usually someone known to her. If you find this shocking, it is.

If you’re wondering what it has to do with running, I’ll tell you that assailants are no longer waiting for the cover of night to strike. They will surprise you in the early hours of morning, during a midday trail run, or abduct you from the streets of your neighborhood. Just ask the five bay area women threatened while running a popular trail; or the woman who jumped over a cliff in Malibu to escape her attacker, or even Candice Moncayo who escaped Chelsea King’s killer.

It can happen and we want you to be safe. READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE HERE for some of the best tried and true safety tips from police officers, EMT’s, and other safety experts.

MetCom Automated Meter Reading Project

Information on the ongoing Automated Meter Reading Project (AMR):

AMR Fact Sheet
AMR Project Press Release
AMR Information Brochure
AMR Powerpoint Presentation
Questions? Problems? Just want to know more about the project and how it may affect you?

MetCom hosted a public meeting at the Mechanicsville VFD on Monday, June 3 at 7pm. Project leaders were on hand to answer any questions you had about this project.  If you were unable to attend, email your questions and MetCom will respond as soon as possible.

Thefts from Motor Vehicles

In 2012, over 500 incidents of thefts from vehicles were reported in St. Mary’s County. The vast majority of the vehicles entered had been left unlocked by the victims and valuables often in plain view were stolen. Some of these incidents have occurred in Country Lakes. The Sheriff’s Office has created a brochure full of tips and information on ensuring the safety of your vehicles and personal items. It also provides important contact information related to neighborhood watch programs, crime solvers, and the Sheriff’s Office. The overall motto is “Lock it or Lose it”.

For additional information, download the brochure.

School Bus Accident in Country Lakes

ALERT: Please be mindful of school buses in the neighborhood during the morning and afternoon hours. The speed limit throughout the neighborhood is 25 MPH in most places. Help to keep our neighborhood kids safe while entering and exiting buses each day…

Posted on the Mechanicsville Volunteer Fire Department Website:

January 4, 2013: At 0839 hours Rescue Engine 22 and EMS Station 29 was alerted to Yowaski Mill Road at Tanyard Drive for the motor vehicle accident involving an occupied school bus with no injuries reported.

Engine 22 arrived on the scene to find a passenger vehicle versus a Type “C” school bus in a rear end style collision and established the command.

Engine 22 found eighteen students on board the bus with no injuries. The drivers of both the school bus and the passenger vehicle were also uninjured. The Board of Education had already been notified by the school bus driver.

Ambulance 297 obtained a patient care refusal from the driver of both vehicles, as well as a mass care refusal from the students and released them over to the SMCPS Board of Education representatives on scene.

Units operated on the scene for approximately twenty minutes.