The Lamppost
Vol. 2007/3 September 2007
The Official Newsletter of the Walden Pond Homeowners' Association
On the Internet at http://waldenponddurhamnc.org
Regularly Scheduled HOA Board Meeting
Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2007, 7:00pm
McMannen United Methodist Church
4102 Neal Road , Durham
All Walden Pond owners and residents welcome
Time to Start Thinking About 2008 HOA Officers
It's not too early for you – yes, YOU – to consider running for one of the three HOA board seats that will be open for election at Walden Pond's annual membership meeting on Dec. 12 at McMannen UM Church. The HOA is governed by a board with three voting members, all of whom are elected to one-year terms. These three board members can appoint additional non-voting board members and officers.
The current voting board members are HOA President Don Barry, 2 Durbin; Vice-President Laura Atkinson, 7 Prestwick; and Treasurer Edison McIntyre, 10 Prestwick. Two of the current voting members have indicated a desire to leave the board at the end of 2007, so new candidates will be needed!
If you would like to run for one of the open seats, please contact the board at: directors@lists.waldenponddurhamnc.org
Nominations for the board also can be made from the floor on the night of the membership meeting on Dec. 12. Walden Pond homeowners must be in good standing regarding monthly fees in order to vote. Votes can be cast through qualified proxies.
Board members serve as volunteers and cannot receive payment for their time and service.
The health of the HOA, and of your investment in Walden Pond, depends on YOUR involvement -- so think about serving on the board in 2008!
NEED INFORMATION???
about Walden Pond, the HOA, paying monthly fees, emergencies?
CONTACT Ms. Frankie Johnson at Morgan's Property Mgt. LLC
PO Box 71294
Durham NC 27722-1294
Ph. 919.479.5762
Fax: 919.471.4280
Email: MorganPropMgr@aol.com
Be sure to make your $68.00 monthly fee check to: Walden Pond HOA
Contact Frankie about paying by monthly bank draft!
Next HOA Board Meeting Wednesday at McMannen
The HOA board meets Wednesday night, Sept. 19, at 7:00 pm at McMannen United Methodist Church on Neal Road (across from the Wildberry entrance to Walden Pond). The remaining 2007 board meeting dates (all at McMannen):
Sat., Oct. 13, 10:00 am
Wed., Nov. 14, 7:00 pm
Wed., Dec. 12, 6:00 pm – followed by:
Walden Pond HOA Annual Meeting :
Wed., Dec. 12, 7:00 pm
This 'n' That …
A Letter from Pam Barry –
Dear Neighbors,
I'm sure you have noticed that the amount of trash thrown about Walden Pond has grown by leaps and bounds. The HOA does not have a member who is responsible for picking it up. We are all responsible.
When you see a soda can or food wrapper lying in the parking lot or roadside, and you leave it for “somebody else” to pick up, you're showing whoever left it there that their carelessness is acceptable. When you walk to the mailbox or walk your dog, do you see what “We” are doing to our neighborhood? Do you pick up after your pet? When the people next door move in or move out, and leave piles of trash, do you inform them of the proper way to dispose of it, or let the property manager know about the mess? An act of omission says, “I don't care about my home.”
Please step up to the plate and do your part. This is where you and I live. Every Walden Pond resident deserves a clean, safe neighborhood – and every Walden Pond resident is responsible for keeping it clean and safe.
--Pam
Parking Lots and Termites
Parking spaces on Georgetown Court and Prestwick Place are scheduled for restriping and renumbering in the near future. Please watch your mail for the letter that will inform you when the restriping is to take place. Be sure to move your car to a location outside the lot that day, to allow quick completion of the paint jobs – and please observe any change in your assigned parking space (one per townhome).
Some townhomes don't have a space right at the front door, and the HOA has tried to assign spaces that give each resident in a particular area – for example, the corners of Georgetown Court – approximately the same walking distance from vehicle to front door.
“Visitor” spaces, marked “V,” are open to any resident, but keep in mind that Walden Pond has only about 1.75 parking spaces per unit. If you have more than two vehicles, please try to park your “extras” on the streets, and please use courtesy in sharing the “Visitor” spots with your neighbors.
Termite inspections for certain townhomes also are scheduled for the near future. Please watch for the notification letter and be sure to make your unit available for inspection on the designated date. The safety and value of your home depend on these inspections.
Back issues of The Lamppost are ONLINE at http://waldenponddurhamnc.org
Water Conservation Is Your Responsibility
Friday's rain was welcome, but it will take a lot more – at least two feet, according to the N&O (Sept.14) – to relieve our current drought. The City of Durham has instituted voluntary water conservation measures, and every homeowner can help save H 2 O and avoid more drastic mandatory measures (e.g., carwashing restrictions, odd/even day landscape watering, etc.) such as the City of Raleigh has had to enforce. So -- wash only full loads of clothes and dishes, water your outdoor plants only after dark (with wastewater if possible), sweep down your walkway instead of hosing it, let your vehicle get a little dirtier, shorten up your showers, and think before you flush (“If it's yellow, let it mellow …”). For a list of water conservation measures, check the city's website at http://www.ci.durham.nc.us/ , and click on “Water Supply Status.”
Cleaning House – and Keeping a Clean Community
THIS IS AN UPDATE of an article from the July 2006 Lamppost. Please read it carefully and keep it for future reference. HELP KEEP WALDEN POND LOOKING SHARP!
Seems like Walden Pond residents are always in the middle of spring cleaning, getting rid of items large and small. There's a right way and wrong way to do this:
THE WRONG WAY: Leaving the worn-out sofa, dead fridge, or empty box on the street in hopes that the city garbage collectors – or the trash fairy – will come along and remove it. FYI, there ain't no trash fairy, and the City of Durham weekly garbage collections take away only what you can put into your solid waste container. That also applies to impromptu curbside “help yourself” giveaways of small items.
THE RIGHT WAY: Take your small household stuff to the local Goodwill Industries, Salvation Army, or Habitat for Humanity stores or collection stations. Give your unwanted clothing to the Durham Rescue Mission. Donate books and your old LPs and VHS tapes to the Durham County Public Library for resale. (Check the phone book.) Sell your stuff on eBay! Recycle paper, cardboard, cans and bottles in the Thursday recycling pickup, or at the Kroger parking lot on Hillsborough Road. To get rid of large furniture or appliances, or empty containers, YOU have to make arrangements for someone to pick them up (that is, if you can't haul them away yourself). Here are some solutions:
That large item you're trying to discard might still be useful to someone (remember, it's trash only in the eye of the beholder), so consider these options:
• Goodwill Industries, 493-1182. Free pick-up for large furniture donations in our area only on Wednesdays . Call at least one week ahead of time. Goodwill will pick up smaller items only if you have at least one large piece of furniture for them to take.
• The Salvation Army, 477-5457. Free pick-up of a large furniture item (and smaller items with the large item). Schedule the pickup at least one week ahead of time.
• Habitat Hand-Me-Ups, 403-8668. Call about free pick-ups, or check out their website at http://www.hhmu.org
• For furniture or other items that someone else can use, try giving it away or selling it at a bargain price (with the buyer hauling it away, of course). The Durham Herald-Sun (daily), 419-6910, offers free classified ads for give-aways (up to four lines for seven days). The Independent Weekly, 286-1972, offers free online ads; check http://classifieds.indyweek.com.
• Try listing your stuff for sale or give-away on “Craig's List,” the all-purpose web-contact site at http://raleigh.craigslist.org (it covers the whole Triangle). It's free.
If what you have to discard is trash in anyone's bin, your best hope for pickup is from the City of Durham's “bulky items” service, 560-1200.
They will take away up to five large items free if
(a) you call them on a Tuesday after 8:00 am and (b) you are among the first 20 people to call.
However, you will have to wait two weeks or more for that free pickup. The city also will remove up to five large items if you pay a $20 fee (added to your water/sewer bill). Call 560-1200 for that service, any weekday. Ask a neighbor or two to split the cost with you.
Be sure to find out THE EXACT DAY that the pickup will be made. Please DO NOT put the discarded item(s) out on the street until the night before, or the morning of, the scheduled pickup . Put smaller items at your front door or on your walkway (don't block the common sidewalk). Have the item taken away in 24 HOURS OR LESS. Coordinate your purchase of a replacement appliance, etc., with discarding the unwanted one.
If you schedule a pick-up but the picker-upper is a no-show, it's up to you to reschedule the pick-up -- and to get the discarded item out of sight until the next appointment. And … if one of the organizations listed here fails to show for an appointment, you should express your displeasure to that organization AND let the HOA directors know so we can complain to them too. More squeak for the wheel!
The WP HOA enforces appearance standards by personal notification and, if need be, with fines for ongoing violations.
All Walden Pond residents should take pride in the appearance of our neighborhood. Please do all you can to keep your discards from becoming eyesores that detract from the livability (and value) of your Walden Pond home.
You can help the Walden Pond HOA save your money by switching to Internet delivery of this newsletter! Please send your E-mail address to:
latkinson@waldenponddurhamnc.org OR morganpropmgr@aol.com
Be sure to specify that you want to receive the Walden Pond HOA monthly newsletter via the Internet. Your E-mail address will be kept confidential. If it changes, please keep the HOA updated.