Newsletter: Jan – Mar 2013

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Neighborhood Watch Program in the Works – Join the Cause

Are you concerned with the amount of crime taking place within the Country Lakes neighborhood? Overall, we live in a safe community surrounded by law-abiding citizens. At monthly board meetings, we are alerted of the crimes that do take place (mostly break-ins of homes, vehicles, theft, and vandalism), and any progress the Sheriff’s department has made in tracking down the culprits.

We are in the beginning stages of taking our own steps toward community crime prevention! If you would like to know more about joining this cause, please contact us at 301-884-7297 and leave a message, including your name and phone number.  We can’t make a change without the help of you, our neighbors! So, please join us!

Help us Clean up the Neighborhood on April 27

We welcome Spring, the dandelions blooming, the birds chirping, the trash lining the roadways…wait, that trash is not supposed to be there! With the help of our board members, we have decided to take a step towards cleaning up our community! We have set up a “Community Clean Up” day on Saturday, April 27 (with a rain date of May 11).

Volunteers and community service workers will be on hand to help pick-up the litter on our main entryways, with heavy focus on the areas near the park. Join together with your families and neighbors to pick up the litter on your street. If we all help out, our community can become a more beautiful place, street by street.

What a good way to get some exercise and meet your neighbors. We hope you will participate (even if only on your own street) on Saturday, April 27 and work with us to continually keep our neighborhood clean!

Note: Your kids may be able to submit their community service hours for school. Check with the school to be sure!!

Upcoming 2013 Community Events

2013 CLHA Board Meetings – Join the Discussion

Our Board Meetings are being held every four weeks on Tuesdays at the Christ Church Parish Hall on Zack Fowler Rd. in Chaptico. Once the weather breaks we will move the location to the park pavilion for the summer months.

Upcoming meeting dates for the second quarter of 2013 are as follows:

  • April 16,
  • May 14, and
  • June 11.

All meetings are at 7pm and last about 2 hours. All residents of the community are welcome at these meetings.

Community Clean Up

The very 1st CLHA Community Clean Up date is set for Saturday, April 27. You can contribute by joining us near the park or picking up the trash on your own street.

Community Yard Sale

On Saturday, May 18, we are hosting the community yard sale. We will post signs in the community and on somd.com. Feel free to set up in the parking lot at the park on a first come, first served basis. You can also use your own yard. Sale time is 7am to 12 noon.

Dumpster Day

This event is scheduled for Saturday, June 1 at the parking lot. We will provide multiple dumpsters, including one for metals. Bring your leftover, non-donatable items from the Yard Sale and we’ll haul them away for you. Certain items will not be accepted, such as tires, hazardous materials, and yard debri. Your dues must be current to participate.

Special Announcements

Web Forms for Reservation Requests

Our new web site was launched in early January. We hope you are enjoying the new look and new features. We have provided you with an easy, more streamlined way to request to reserve the pavilion or lighted sign, and also to check your dues status or ask any other HOA-related questions. You can find the various forms on the website, each of which guides you through the information we need to provide a thorough response. Happy ‘Surf’ing!

Voicemail Notice from the President

The CHLA voicemail line is available to all residents for any inquiries regarding the community and HOA. We request that you please provide your name, address, and return phone number slowly and clearly in your message. PLEASE NOTE: Messages are checked on a weekly basis, so allow for a week for someone to return your call. If you want a quicker response, use the web forms.

Upcoming Repairs to the Park Pavilion

We are in the process of approving a quote to replace numerous support poles at the pavilion. Construction on the pavilion will require it to be out of commission for at least three days. We will post a message on the lighted sign when construction begins. You will also notice yellow construction tape blocking any entrance onto the cement floor of the pavilion and surrounding areas. Stay tuned.

Painting the Playground

The metal playground equipment will undergo a facelift in the next few months. We will be painting the surfaces to provide a “cooler” environment for your children during the summer months. That metal can get very hot, so we are trying to reduce that problem and give the equipment a new, fresher look as well. Enjoy!

Advertise With Us

You have always been able to advertise in our quarterly newsletters. The redesign of our web site has created another opportunity for you to advertise your business with CLHA. The newsletters are distributed electronically and only to Country Lakes residents, but the web site is a public domain accessible on a much broader level. We are offering monthly ad spots to residents (and non-residents) at a small fee of $50/month. We are working on an information page for the web site that will provide you with additional information on how to advertise. In the meantime, please contact webmaster@clha.org if you are interested.

Event Signs on Cox and Yowaiski Mill

We understand many of you don’t pass the lighted sign at the park on a daily basis, so we have started posting event signs at the entrances on Cox Drive and Yowaiski Mill Road so everyone can stay informed about upcoming events. We will post the signs about a week before any scheduled event. We hope you will come out and participate with the community!

Report ALL Crimes in the Neighborhood

If you become a victim of any crime in the neighborhood, no matter how small, please report it to the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Department at 301-475-8008. Some of the culprits have been proven to be responsible for mulitple crimes in the neighborhood. The more information the Sheriff’s Department knows, the better. Thanks for your help.