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.

 

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