Clark's Crossing Homes Association Announcements

FOUND: Gray and Yellow Cockatiel

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 01:48:00 GMT

If you are, or are aware of anyone, missing this friendly bird with a band on its leg please contact me. One of our neighbors graciously gave it sanctuary in their screened porch this weekend at the far end of Meadowlark Road near Abbey Glen Court. Thanks, Rich

Spring Cleaning

Wed, 15 May 2013 01:00:00 GMT

Dear Neighbor, Just to let you know that I'll be calling AMVETS to cancel their collection this Saturday. One household expressed interest in a collection which I regret is not enough for them to commit the truck to our area. Please do not hesitate to contact your favorite charity to arrange a donation if you change your mind. On another note, we're looking for volunteers for a community clean up of Meadowlark Road on Saturday 1 June. Please send me a note if you're interested in pitching in for a couple of hours in the morning. Thanks, Rich

Reminder: CCHA Community Yard Sale Saturday 18 May 2013 list_name --> Message

Sat, 11 May 2013 01:37:00 GMT

Dear Neighbor, Just a reminder: We’re only one week away from the association's annual community yard sale on Saturday 18 May from 8:00am - 12:00pm. Remember, dedicated buyers will start arriving before the official start time in search of bargains, so plan accordingly. We’ve found two area charities interested in picking up donations. To arrange pick-up you can contact me and I’ll pass a combined list or you can contact the charity of your choice to arrange pick-up. I will need to know what you are planning to donate to allow the charity to plan accordingly. AMVETS (<a href="http://www.amvetspickup.org/">www.amvetspickup.org</a>) has tentatively scheduled) a pick-up on the day of the sale, Saturday 18 May. I will be giving them a call Monday 13 May so if you are interested in donating something to this organization please send me a note.) The Salvation Army (<a href="http://satruck.org/">http://satruck.org/</a>) can pick up your donations from Tuesday through Saturday. You will need to either give them a call (1-800-728-7825) or schedule through their website. If neither of these two charities work for you, I found this website (<a href="http://www.donationtown.org/virginia-donation-pickup/">http://www.donationtown.org/virginia-donation-pickup/</a>) that may help you find one that will. Finally, several of you have asked me how to contact our new Architectural Committee Chair, Lee Falcon. You can find her in the directory under Janle until the next directory is published. Please have a great weekend! Rich

Missing Cat

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 21:57:00 GMT

12 year old Brown Tabby "Chief" missing from 1708 Abbey Oak Drive since Tuesday 23 April 2013 If found please call 703.861.9156 or 703.582.2333 The owner is also offering a reward Thanks, Rich

Clark's Crossing Homes Association Yard Sale Saturday 18 May 2013

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 01:23:00 GMT

Dear Neighbor, I wanted to give you a bit more warning this year. Lee Falcon has volunteered to work the publicity for the association's annual community yard sale on Saturday 18 May from 8:00am - 12:00pm. We will be posting signs and advertising the sale in area newspapers. We've repeated this event several times over the years and it has always been successful. Potential buyers are interested in neighborhood sales where they can visit multiple sellers in a confined area. It's a perfect opportunity to complete your spring cleaning and pass on your treasures to an eager buyer. Participation is easy: Just plan, organize, and operate your own sale on May 18 between the hours we’re advertising. Remember, dedicated buyers will start arriving before the official start time in search of bargains, so plan accordingly. We're working one other aspect to determine if an area charity may be interested in passing through the neighborhood after the sale for contributions. We'll keep you posted and will remind you shortly before the event. Good Luck! Rich

Clarks Crossing Homes Association 2013 Annual Election Results

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 22:45:00 GMT

Dear Neighbor, I’m pleased to announce the results of this year’s annual election. You’ll notice a few significant changes this year. 2013/2014 Board of Directors Rich Perry - President Eric Janle - Vice President Bruce Byrum – Treasurer Lee Falcon – Architectural Committee Chair Anne Shaffner Eduard van der Noordaa Brian Goebel Jaime Castaneda Jaime Castaneda is our newest director. Eric Janle relieved Craig Donsanto as Vice President and Lee Falcon relieved Ron Romich as our Architectural Control Committee (ACC) Chair. We are still looking for a volunteer to fill the Secretary position. Please contact me if you are interested. We’re very sorry to see three long-serving volunteers leave the board this year. Ron, Jan, and Craig have contributed a great deal to the community and we’ll miss their counsel. Their “historical” perspective has been invaluable. Jan and Ron Romich have served the community longer than anyone of which I’m aware. Ron has been ACC Chair for over two decades. It’s a long time in any position and he’s helped each one of us at one time or another. His understanding of association rules and responsiveness in working with many of us as we updated and repaired our homes has been impressive. Jan, in addition to supporting Ron, has been our Secretary for three years this time around. While Craig Donsanto recently completed five years as director, he had served the community before. We greatly appreciate his willingness serve when we were short of volunteers. Please let them all know that you appreciate their service when you see them around the neighborhood. Thanks for being here, Rich

2013 CCHA Annual Meeting Summary

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 01:34:00 GMT

Dear Neighbor, We had a good turnout for the annual meeting this year. If you could not make it, we missed you. This note provides a summary of the meeting. It is a bit longer than my usual but I believe that you will find the information useful. I would first like to express my appreciation for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) and Fairfax County representatives that came to our annual meeting on short notice. They provided a wealth of information to everyone who attended, some from outside our community, for what to expect when the Metro Silver Line starts operations later this year. We focused on questions from the audience rather than listen to a full presentation in the interest of time. I have summarized key points and provide helpful links to information on-line at the end of this note. Secondly, I would like to thank all the people who contributed to making 2012 a particularly successful year for us, especially Bechir Kassar for putting together a great picnic. We rely on volunteers to make Clark's Crossing a great place to live and their efforts are greatly appreciated. 2012 highlights included, most notably, Dominion Virginia Power completing phase two of their improvement plan for our neighborhood. Phase two replaced the remaining overhead electrical power lines along Meadowlark Road underground removing the last section between Beulah Road and our community that was vulnerable to falling trees in bad weather. This should significantly improve power reliability for our neighbors on Abbey Oak Drive, Meadowlark Road, Fosbak Drive, and Batten Hollow Road. One of the long term projects planned for our area, the W&OD connector trail to Meadowlark Botanical Gardens will likely come to fruition this year. The Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority (NVPRA) reports that they will likely start construction on the trail this spring after resolving issues with parties opposed to the trail. The extension will add a path from the existing trail that follows along Meadowlark Road. The path from Abbey Oak Drive to Beulah will be paved to provide a better surface for bikes so that they do not have to use Meadowlark Road. Plans for the project can be found at the bottom of the Meadowlark Garden website: <a href="http://www.nvrpa.org/park/meadowlark_botanical_gardens">http://www.nvrpa.org/park/meadowlark_botanical_gardens</a> Finally, while work on the first phase of the Silver Line will complete this summer, it will be turned over to WMATA for testing before it becomes fully operational. WMATA estimates that it should start operating late this year. Essentially the Wiehle Avenue station provides area commuters another option to the Vienna or Dunn Loring stations. Parking for the new metro stations in the Tysons area will be limited to avoid attracting more cars to the area. One area still open is the county bus service change to compliment the Silver line. I have attached four relevant links at the end of this note. Thanks for being here, <h1><a name="section_1">Rich</a></h1> Links: Fairfax County Tysons Information: <a href="http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/tysons">www.fairfaxcounty.gov/tysons</a> Information about transportation, land use, public safety issues in Tysons and the surrounding neighborhoods Tysons Station Access Management Study: <a href="http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/fcdot/tmsams">www.fairfaxcounty.gov/fcdot/tmsams</a> This study specifically focused on transit, pedestrian, and bicycle facilities near the Metro stations and facilities surrounding the Tysons urban core. It is a good resource to learn about the sidewalk, crosswalk, and bicycle lane improvements in the community. Schedule of Fairfax County public meetings for the proposed Fairfax Connector Tysons service plan: <a href="http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/connector/news/meetings.htm">http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/connector/news/meetings.htm</a> Includes an online chat (Thursday 18 April), as well as the public meetings, to solicit your input for the county bus service. The line being considered nearest our neighborhood is Optional Draft Route 432: North Vienna-Old Courthouse-Beulah. Hunter Mill District Website: <a href="http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/huntermill">www.fairfaxcounty.gov/huntermill</a> Constituents can sign up for their electronic newsletter and other information about the Hunter Mill District.

Annual Meeting Monday 1 April – Metro and Fairfax County Representatives Confirmed

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 14:51:00 GMT

Dear Neighbor, Supervisor Hudgins’ office confirmed that WMATA and Fairfax County representatives will be present tonight to answer questions concerning the opening of the Metro Silver Line this year. The Association's Annual meeting will be held MONDAY, APRIL 1, 20131 at 8:00PM. We will hold the meeting in the cafeteria at the Wolftrap Elementary School on Beulah Road. Additionally, I will also provide updates on several issues of interest including the W&OD trail extension to Meadowlark Botanical Gardens and Dominion Virginia Power reliability. If you can’t make it please take the time to send in your proxy for the annual election. Part of the Annual Meeting involves elections for two board positions and you should have received a ballot this week. Hope to see you tonight. Rich

CCHA Annual Meeting - Monday 1 April at 8:00 PM - Wolftrap Elementary

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 11:44:00 GMT

Dear Neighbor, The Association's Annual meeting will be held MONDAY, APRIL 1, 20131 at 8:00PM. We will hold the meeting in the cafeteria at the Wolftrap Elementary School on Beulah Road. Part of the Annual Meeting involves elections for two board positions and you should have received a ballot this week. As a reminder as to how our process works, the Association elects two board members at each annual meeting for three-year terms, and the board elects annual officers at its April board meeting. We have invited representatives from WMATA and Fairfax County to answer questions concerning the opening of the Metro Silver Line this year and I plan on providing updates on several issues of interest including the W&OD trail extension to Meadowlark Botanical Gardens and Dominion Virginia Power reliability. Thanks for being here, Rich

Clark's Crossing Homes Association 2013 Annual Election

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 01:31:00 GMT

Dear Association Member: The Association again announces the annual election of board officers, to take place at the Annual Meeting, which is scheduled for Monday 1 April 2013 at 8:00 pm. The Nominating Committee has recommended candidates for the two open positions. The terms for these positions will expire in 2016. PLEASE READ THIS MESSAGE CAREFULLY AND RESPOND TO IT AT YOUR FIRST OPPORTUNITY! Each Association member that is in good standing (meaning that dues are current) is entitled to a vote for board positions (one vote per property). There are two ways to vote: <ol> <li>Attend the Annual Meeting and vote in person. </li><li>REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE AND VOTE BY PROXY. </li></ol> We need a minimum number of residents to vote in order to hold a qualifying election, so we ENCOURAGE EVERY RESIDENT TO VOTE BY PROXY AT YOUR FIRST OPPORTUNITY. Please note that you may elect to vote in person at the Annual Meeting EVEN IF you have returned the proxy. To complete the proxy, simply RESPOND TO THIS MESSAGE and complete the information requested below. Remember to SELECT THE CANDIDATES YOU WISH TO VOTE FOR as recommended by the Nominating Committee or to write-in another name if you choose to do so. Simply type an in the box provided in order to cast your vote. Once again, please COMPLETE YOUR PROXY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE by replying to this message AND COMPLETING THE INFORMATION IMMEDIATELY BELOW. A brief description of the candidates is found at the end of this message, and you may attend the Annual Meeting to speak with them and the rest of the board in person. *** 2013 PROXY *** By completing the information comprising this proxy, I hereby authorize ANY CLARK'S CROSSING HOMES ASSOCIATION BOARD MEMBER to vote on my behalf at the Association's 2013 Annual Meeting, as indicated by my selections below. I also understand that I may vote in person at the Annual Meeting (and thereby revoke my proxy) should I choose to do so. ** NAME: ** ADDRESS: ** LOT NUMBER (found in the Association directory if you do not know it): ** CANDIDATES (VOTE FOR TWO): [ ] JAIME CASTANEDA [ ] RICHARD PERRY [ ] _________________________ *** END OF PROXY *** Jaime Castaneda is a new candidate for director. He and his family joined us in 2005. Jaime is already an active member of the community and we greatly appreciate his willingness to continue to serve the community in a new capacity. Richard Perry has been on the board since moving into the neighborhood in 2004. He first served as secretary before becoming a director and president in 2009.

Periodic Update

Sat, 23 Feb 2013 00:27:00 GMT

Dear Neighbor, We are seeking people interested in serving on our board. Terms for two directors expire each year and we some officer positions as well. The time commitment is less than what you may think and it is a great opportunity to stay plugged-in to the community. Please contact me at president@clarkscrossing if interested or just give me a call if you want to talk. Finally, our annual meeting is currently scheduled at Wolftrap Elementary School for Monday 1 April at 8:00 pm. Hope to see you there. Thanks for being here, Rich

Stormwater Drainage Problems and Dominion Power Update

Tue, 27 Nov 2012 23:07:00 GMT

All, I’m sending this note to seek community participation for one public meeting and to inform you of progress being made on the underground power line on Meadowlark Road. First the call for participation in a Fairfax County community update on their storm water program. This meeting is particularly relevant for those of you who experienced “ponding” at the Batten Hollow road pipestem during Hurricane Sandy. We have neighbors who are planning on attending but we also need at least one long-term resident who can attend and attest first-hand that this is a long-standing problem. The long-term resident will bring the credibility needed to indentify this as a significant issue. It would be particularly helpful if you have a proposed solution in mind. The meeting is scheduled for Thursday, November 29 at 7:00 p.m. in conference rooms 9/10 at the Fairfax County Government Center, 12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax. Reservations are not required. County staff will present an update on the overall status of the watershed management plans and the storm water management program. For more information call 703-324-5821, TTY 711 or email <a href="mailto:SWPDmail@fairfaxcounty.gov">SWPDmail@fairfaxcounty.gov</a> As for Dominion Virginia Power’s work on reliability to the area I’m sure that you’ve seen the activity at the Meadowlark / Abbey Oak intersection. Dominion is about 90% complete with the underground work and should complete all work by the end of the year. They are delayed however due to crews having deployed North to assist other utilities in their restoration work from Hurricane Sandy. They’re a couple weeks behind in completing the overhead and terminating work, but are still on track to complete the project by the end of the year. Finally, for those of you who have paid your annual assessment – thanks. However, we still have a few hold outs. If you have not yet paid, please do so soonest. If you suspect that you’ve not paid, please let me know and we’ll let you know. We try very hard to keep the annual assessment at the lowest level possible and believe that it’s very reasonable compared to other communities. Thanks for being here, Rich

Severe Storm Preparations

Sat, 27 Oct 2012 17:01:00 GMT

All, I'm sure that you've all read, seen, and heard the dire predictions for the upcoming storm. Please take the time now to prepare for what may be a very long and destructive event. Unfortunately, the underground line project is not yet complete and all of the power companies are predicting an extended outage if we see the brunt of the storm. Based on our recent storm history, we all know what to expect and precautions to take. However, in light of the expected length of this storm, I ask you to walk around your house and look for anything that may cause problems that did not materialize during our last severe but brief storm. <ol> <li>Take in anything outside that you would expect to blow away in the expected winds. </li><li>Expect lots of water. Consequently please, as a minimum, clear leaves from any drainage paths, including any storm drains, near your house. As always, look out for each other. </li></ol> Thanks, Rich

DOMINION VIRGINIA POWER UPDATE

Fri, 19 Oct 2012 00:00:00 GMT

<div class=WordSection1>Dear Neighbor,<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p>      Two items:  An update on the Meadowlark Road electrical power line and a general call-out for help in recovering the trays from the last meeting of the supper club.<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p>      First the trays.  If you participated in the supper club a few years ago and just happen to recall who was kind enough to store the rattan trays please let me know and we'll retrieve them.  <o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p>      Second, in case you haven’t noticed, some heavy equipment and supplies were staged near parcel F late last week and the contractor started utility work on Monday.  Dominion Virginia Power confirmed that they’ve started work on the underground line.  I’ll keep you posted as I discover any new information.<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p>      This is very good news for the homes that went through the extended power outage this summer.  Dominion accelerated the project to have it complete before winter.  Thank you all for your support in getting to this point.<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p>      Have a great weekend!<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p>Thanks for being here,<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p>Rich<o:p></o:p></div> __________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus signature database 7602 (20121018) __________ The message was checked by ESET Smart Security. <A HREF="http://www.eset.com">http://www.eset.com</A>

Clarks Crossing Homes Association 2012 Annual Election Results

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 23:30:00 GMT

Dear Neighbor, I’m pleased to announce the results of this year’s annual election. 2012/2013 Board of Directors Members Rich Perry President Craig Donsanto Vice President Anne Shaffner Eduard van der Noordaa Eric Janle Brian Goebel Bruce Byrum – Treasurer Jan Romich – Secretary Ron Romich – Architectural Committee Chair Eric Janle and Brian Goebel were elected this year. It’s Eric’s second term and Brian’s first term. Craig Donsanto is now our new Vice President. You’ll note that Kent Query, our outgoing Vice President, has left the board of directors after over eight years of service. He is still in the community but he thought it best to step down for a while. Always one to volunteer, Kent has pitched in for some of our harder jobs. Please let him know that you appreciate his service when you see him around. Thanks for being here, Rich

2012 Annual Meeting Summary

Sat, 21 Apr 2012 15:08:00 GMT

Dear Neighbor, I wanted to follow our annual meeting with a summary of the evening for all. We greatly appreciate those of you who took the time to join us and discuss issues related to the neighborhood. I think that we all agree that Clarks Crossing is a great place to live and we enjoyed hearing from you. For those of you who were not able to attend, we missed you. The election results are not included in this note and will be forwarded after our monthly board meeting. Once again, I’d like to thank all our volunteers who helped out their neighbors. Special thanks to Eduard and Tatiana van der Noordaa for making both the yard sale and the picnic a reality last year. If it were not for their efforts, and the significant number of people who helped with the picnic, these very worthwhile events would not have happened. As promised we also discussed a number of issues affecting the neighborhood. In general these are long-term issues or projects that you already know about. Northern Virginia Park Authority’s W&OD trail extension to Meadowlark Botanical Gardens is continuing to move forward. It’s currently in the county permitting process and then will move to the contracting phase. I’ll keep you updated of any new developments as we become aware. Plans for the trail extension can be found at: <a href="http://www.nvrpa.org/uploads/Files/content/Meadowlark%20Gardens%20Trail101112.pdf">http://www.nvrpa.org/uploads/Files/content/Meadowlark%20Gardens%20Trail101112.pdf</a> While we were lucky with a mild winter this year, you should not have forgotten about the number of times many of our residents lost power in years past. Dominion Virginia Power (DVP) replaced most of the feeder line along Meadowlark Road underground last year but stopped short of the last hundred yards of the intersection with Abbey Oak Road. The remaining overhead line feeds residents on Meadowlark, Abbey Oak, Fosbak Lane, and portions of Batten Hollow. Dominion is now working phase two of the project to place the rest of the line underground. This is the line that continues to run along Meadowlark across Abbey Oak Road. The project is currently in DVP’s engineering department and could start as early as the end of this year. If asked, I urge your support for this final step to prevent future occurrences of the extended power losses that we experienced in 2009 and 2010. Fairfax County recognizes the risk of the area’s unchecked deer population and has developed a significant wildlife control program largely through means of controlled hunting. The program reduced the local deer population by 977 deer last year. This past year Fairfax County relied on their archery program in our area which used a selected qualified group to conduct discreet, effective, and safe deer management off W & OD Trail, Clark’s Crossing Park, and Lahey Lost Valley. There were no sharpshooter hunts in our area this year. More information concerning the county’s wildlife control program can be found at: <a href="http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/living/wildlife/management/">http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/living/wildlife/management/</a> Dulles Metro . . . or at least Metro to Weihle Avenue is still scheduled to complete by late 2013. Their website has a wealth of information <a href="http://www.dullesmetro.com/">http://www.dullesmetro.com/</a> and has a number of options to keep you updated. Finally, I’d be remiss if I did not take this opportunity to pitch a request for volunteers to pitch in. Whether it’s a pet project that you would like to make a reality or one of our annual events, we’d love to hear from you. We were pleased at the attendance at the annual meeting and even more so when Mark Tremblay, one of our newest neighbors, stepped forward to help with the picnic. Even a few hours can make a difference! Thanks for making this a great place to live, Rich