Merry Christmas to one and all

Assessment payment due by New Year's Day

The first installment of your 2011 Homeowners Association assessment is due by Saturday, January 1.  Dues are $355 per household per quarter.

Remember, you also may pay the $1,420 full-year assessment in one installment, or pay semi-annually in $710 installments.

Please send your checks, made payable to the Terrace H.O.A., to:

Terrace at Highpointe
Box 35
Troy, New York 12182

Thank you.

Holiday lights gone wild

We have some nice outdoor lights displays on the Terrace, but we can't quite count ourselves in the same league as these folks!

High winds wreak havoc with spruces

PHOTOS BY BILL DOWD

From left: Ed Reilly, Tom Chichester and Harvey Bailey in action.

The two mature blue spruces in the Terrace's common area between Hyland Court and Hyland Circle were felled by the high winds that swept the area Wednesday.

Grounds Committee Chairman Harvey Bailey, along with Tom Chichester and Ed Reilly, quickly pitched in to make short work of the damage. They cut up the trees, extracted the stumps and smoothed out the lawn area.

In the spring, the Terrace Association will be footing the bill to replace the trees and seed the damaged grassy areas.

As always, our thanks to the tireless efforts behind such a quick and thorough cleanup.

One of the two blue spruces uprooted by high winds awaits disposal.

Safety rods put in place

The annual "Hammering of the Plow Markers" has taken place.

Harvey Bailey and Tom Chichester did their annual voluntary job of installing the upright metal markers around the Terrace that help snowplow crews keep track of the lawns, driveways and parking areas.

If anything happens to the markers on your property, please make sure to let Harvey know IMMEDIATELY. Markers that have been knocked down or removed for any reason need to be replaced for safety's sake.

Keeping a sharp eye out

A rash of residential burglaries in the Capital Region in recent months prompts a suggestion from Ed Reilly to keep an eye out for unfamiliar vehicles driving through the Terrace -- cars that may be occupied by persons checking out the neighborhood for nefarious purposes.

"I've noticed a couple of cars I've never seen driving slowly around the neighborhood," says Ed, "so I mentioned it to Bill Wade. He said the key thing is to get the license plate numbers. Just having a description of the car isn't enough."

Bill Wade, for those newer Terrace residents who don't know him, is a former City of Troy police officer.

The non-emergency phone number for the Troy Police Department is 270-4411. The emergency number is, of course, 911.

A time-ly reminder ... or two ... or three

We return to Eastern Standard Time at 2 a.m. Sunday, November 7. That means set your clocks back one hour tonight when you go to bed.

It also means darkness will be upon us earlier than usual, so do a quick check of your property to be sure all exterior lights are fully functioning. This is for safety reasons for all since we have no municipal street lighting.

P.S. I hate to mention it, but the occasional reference to snow in the local weather forecasts means we need to be aware of keeping our driveways clear for the snow-plowers to do their job. So, please be sure to get back in the habit of keeping your car(s) in the garage or in our community-owned parking areas.

New Terrace membership list

Treasurer Jerry Gordon has updated the Terrace at Highpoint Community Association membership list. Here's the rundown:

• 1 Hyland Circle Jack & Joan Coyne
• 2 Hyland Circle Nadeen Thompson
• 3 Hyland Circle Claire & Fil Steiner
• 4 Hyland Circle Betty Looney
• 5 Hyland Circle Lewis Hall
• 6 Hyland Circle Bernie Mackey
• 7 Hyland Circle Bill & April Dowd
• 8 Hyland Circle Anne Hunter
• 9 Hyland Circle Russ & Rose Golino
• 10 Hyland Circle Donna Williams
• 11 Hyland Circle Bob & Polly Hayward
• 12 Hyland Circle Paula Fox-Murphy & Bob Malphrus
• 13 Hyland Circle Rose Hastings-Weaver (non-resident)
• 14 Hyland Circle Terry Page
• 15 Hyland Circle Jerry & Maryanne Gordon
• 16 Hyland Circle Tom & Peggy Savchik
• 17 Hyland Drive Joe & Geraldine Claeys
• 18 Hyland Drive Steve & Tammy Sanders
• 19 Hyland Drive Ed & Elaine Reilly
• 20 Hyland Drive Mariana Figueiro
• 21 Hyland Court John & Susan Milliren
• 22 Hyland Court Harvey & Lorraine Bailey
• 23 Hyland Court Bill Wade
• 24 Hyland Court Vivian Price
• 25 Hyland Court Trent Cox
• 26 Hyland Court Catherine "Kay" Duclos
• 27 Hyland Circle Pat Whitman
• 28 Hyland Circle Shirley Fischer
• 29 Hyland Circle Dick & Betsy Harte
• 30 Hyland Circle Joe & Carolee Jasiewicz
• 31 Hyland Drive John "Ned" Alaskey
• 32 Hyland Drive Amy & Walter Willard
• 33 Hyland Drive Joan Richardson
• 34 Hyland Drive Tom & Ginny Chichester

Girls' Night Out

A group of 15-year-old girlfriends discussed where they should meet for dinner. Finally, it was agreed upon that they should meet at the Dairy Queen next to the Ocean View restaurant because they only had $6 between them and Jim, that cute boy in Social Studies, lives on that street and they might see him as they ride their bikes there.

10 years later, the group of 25 year-old girlfriends discussed where they should meet for dinner. Finally, it was agreed upon that they should meet at the Ocean View restaurant because the beer was cheap, they had free snacks, the band was good, there was no cover and there were lots of cute guys.

10 years later, at 35 years of age, the group once again discussed where they should meet for dinner. Finally, it was agreed upon that they should meet at the Ocean View restaurant because the cosmos were good, it was right near the gym and if they go late enough, there wouldn't be too many whiny little kids.

10 years later, at 45 years of age, the group once again discussed where they should meet for dinner. Finally, it was agreed upon that they should meet at the Ocean View restaurant because the martinis were big, and the waiters there had tight pants and nice buns.

10 years later, at 55 years of age, the group once again discussed where they should meet for dinner. Finally it was agreed they should meet at the Ocean View restaurant because the food there was reasonable, the wine list was good, they had windows that open in case of a hot flash, and fish is good for your cholesterol.

10 years later, at 65 years of age, the group once again discussed where they should meet for dinner. Finally it was agreed that they should meet at the Ocean View restaurant because lighting was good and they have an early bird special.

10 years later, at 75 years of age, the group once again discussed where they should meet for dinner. Finally it was agreed that they should meet at the Ocean View restaurant because food was not too spicy, the restaurant was handicapped accessible and they even had an elevator!

10 years later, at 85 years of age, the group once again discussed where they should meet for dinner. Finally it was agreed that they should meet at the Ocean View restaurant because they had never been there before.

Minutes of October 4, 2010

The Terrace at Highpointe Homeowners Association
General Membership Meeting Minutes
October 4, 2010


Proof of meeting announcement: E-Mailing, website notice, postbox gazebo bulletin board postings.

Attendance: 2, 3, 7,  8, 9, 11, 15, 19, 20, 21, 22, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 33, 34.

President Bill Dowd convened the meeting at 7 p.m.

Announcements:

• New Terrace resident Anne Hunter (8 Hyland Circle) was introduced.

• Bill reminded the members that there is a surcharge assessed for late payment of dues assessments because the assessments are the Terrace's only source of income. 

Committee Reports:

• Architectural Committee: Bill reported that the committee had approved sun porch addition applications for the residences of Joan Richardson and Anne Hunter, and that the Board had concurred.

• Grounds Committee: Harvey Bailey reported that the snow plowing contract remains the same. The lawn service contract will increase by $300. Jerry Gordon inquired about the possible use of pesticide-free mulch. Harvey replied that this would be prohibitively expensive.

• Rules Committee: Bill reported that extractions from the bylaws were being considered and material would be sent to members before the next membership meeting.

• Beautification Committee: It was noted that Ginny Chichester has been taking care of periodic mailbox decorations as a member of the committee.

Old Business:

• Social Events: Bill noted that the first standalone summer pizza party went very well. There are no plans to revive the annual Christmas Party, nor the Summer Picnic. Harvey suggested we have several pizza parties during the summer and that they be kept informal.

• Residential ID: Bill stated that the question of placement of house numbers would be addressed at the next Board meeting.

• Minutes: Minutes of the May 3 membership meeting were read and accepted without dissent.

New Business:

• Finance: Jerry Gordon presented the Treasurer's report. There is no change in the dues assessment. Jerry is sending out new dues forms. The dues can be paid quarterly, semi-annually or annually. The proposed 2011 budget was adopted by the members without objection.

• Property Assessments: Bill reported that he had researched the Terrace's status in the City of Troy's property reassessment program, filled out the proper paperwork, and met with city officials. Our plots of commonly-owned land have no improvements and, therefore, are not taxed. That status is expected to remain the same.

Welcome to the newest Terrace resident

We'd like to welcome Anne Hunter as the newest resident in the Terrace community.

Anne, who moved from Latham, is the new owner of No. 8, Julia Austin's former home, and is just beginning to settle in.

Please make a point of personally welcoming Anne to the Terrace.

Pizza Party-goers' pictures

Thanks to Nadeen Thompson for these photos of the first standalone Terrace Pizza Party, held last weekend in place of the annual summer picnic.

Despite being rained out the day before, all eventually went well, thanks in large part to event organizer Maryanne Gordon and tent-providers Harvey and Lorraine Bailey.

PHOTOS BY NADEEN THOMPSON

 

Summer Pizza Party set for July 23

You'll see this signup sheet posted on the mailbox gazebo bulletin board beginning today (Saturday, July 10). Please follow through as we hold our first full-fledged summer pizza party in lieu of the annual pot luck picnic.

Minutes of May 3, 2010

The Terrace at Highpointe Homeowners Association

General Membership Meeting Minutes
May 3, 2010


Proof of meeting announcement: E-Mailing, website notice, postbox gazebo bulletin board postings.

Attendance: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 32, 33, 34. Proxies for 8 and 17.

President's Announcements:

• Bill Dowd noted that there are two units for sale: 8 and 31. He also noted there are five units that want to replace their front light posts. He also reminded residents that the cedar exterior trim on each unit should be painted at least every five years, using the required colors.

Officers' Reports:

• Secretary John Milliren's minutes of the October 2009 meeting were approved as submitted.

• Treasurer Jerry Gordon presented the financial report which was approved as submitted.

Committee Reports:

• Grounds: Chairman Harvey Bailey reported that new contracts are due in October. He has a verbal committment for a two-year snow removal renewal with no rate increase.

• Beautification Committee: The Board congratulated Chairperson Ginny Chichester and the committee for its excellent work.

• Rules: Bill Dowd reported that after several years of working on the bylaws, the committee has reduced them from more than 100 pages to about 70. The revisions will be forwarded to the Board for perusal prior to next October's general meeting.

• Architectural: Chairman Bill reported that only one application was received since the last general meeting -- his own request for approval to install an automated deck awning at the rear of the house. He said he had recused himself from the process, which Tom Chichester handled.

Old Business:

• Bill noted that attendance at last year's picnic was low, and that the number of reservations fo rthe holiday party was so low the event was cancelled. He suggested a full discussion about the future of each event. The consenus was that the summer picnic would be replaced by the pizza party usually held the night before the event. Maryanne Gordon will look into organizing a Friday evening pizza party with a date to be determined.

New Business:

• Bill reported that he had researched the land-clearing project on Oakwood Avenue opposite the Terrace entrance with Brunswick town officials. The Building Department said there is no proposal before the board to develop a project. The town councilman representing the area said his inquiries resulted in being told the land owners were clearing the land to make it more salable.

• Nominating Committee Chairman Bob Hayward reported that committee member Joan Richardson has volunteered to stand for election to the board vacancy created by the resignation of Kathy Murray. He nominated her for the position; no other candidates came forward. Joan was elected without dissent.

THE MEETING WAS ADJOURNED at 7:35 p.m., followed by the Association's first off-the-record general discussion.

An early jump on our May 15 work day

Each spring, we hold a Work Day to spruce up common areas of The Terrace -- a little paint here, a little scrubbing there, a little planting, a little fertilizing ... all in the interest of keeping our community as picturesque as it always has been.

This year, Work Day is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. this Saturday, May 15 (rain date the following Saturday), when we'll gather at the mailbox gazebo.

Bring along your work gloves, rakes, plastic trash bags and anything else that might be helpful for such an undertaking.

To get yourself in the mood, take a look at these photos of a work crew that got an advance start on Work Day by removing the worn-out roof on our Terrace sign today (Monday, May 10) and replacing it structurally and with new shingles and primer paint.

The work was, as usual, led by Grounds Committee Chairman Harvey Bailey and Tom Chichester, assisted by Dick Harte, all skillfully observed by Bill Dowd who picked up some stuff off the ground.

Thanks to all who keep the community looking sharp.

And, to everyone, see you Saturday morning!

PHOTOS BY BILL DOWD (except for one obvious one)

The Epicuran spreads its wings

The Epicurean, where we held several Terrace winter holiday parties, is moving. Sort of.

Owners Sandy and Claire Pogue have purchased the Vin Santo Wine & Tapas Bar (right) in the Latham Farms shopping complex just off the Latham Circle and are converting it to The Epicurean Bistro & Wine Bar.

The new venture is scheduled to open on Saturday, May 22.

The Pogues are not abandoning their Route 7 outpost, however. The Sterup Square original will be renamed The Epicurean Café. It will continue to serve breakfast and lunch, and maintain its retail space.

The new Latham operation, which will serve both lunch and dinner, will have a heavily-French menu, with a smaller wine list than Vin Santo’s list which had about 150 lables.

New member on the Board of Directors

Update for anyone who missed the May 3 Terrace Homeowners Association meeting:

Joan Richardson (No. 33) was unanimously elected to fill the vacancy on the board created by the resignation of Kathy Murray.

Joan actually is a member of the Nominating Committee -- which includes Chairman Bob Hayward and Ginny Chichester -- who volunteered to stand for election.

We appreciate Joan's interest, particularly in light of her brief time as part of the Terrace community. And, we look forward to her input and energy in continuing to make the Terrace a fine community.

Who's tearing down the woods?

UPDATED INFO BELOW

PHOTOS BY BILL DOWD

 

That's the question on the minds of numerous Terrace residents after seeing the large swath of once-heavily-wooded land being cleared opposite the Highpointe Road entrance onto Oakwood Avenue (Route 40).

That parcel is located in the Town of Brunswick. I researched minutes of the town's Planning Board for the past 12 months (and the past 16 months of the City of Troy Planning Board) and no mention was made of any project there.

When I called the town Building Department today (April 28) to get information, neither department head John Kreiger nor his assistant, Ron Neissen, had any idea of what was going on.

I noted that it now has been home to all sorts of wildlife, including deer, Canada geese and a variety of small birds. That habitat now has been destroyed.

Neissen promised to check into (a) the ownership of the land, (b) what work might be going on, and (c) get back to me before our May 3 membership meeting.

He did note that the land, which long ago was the site of the City of Troy incinerator, is zoned industrial.

UPDATE FROM BILL DOWD:

The land in question is, according to the Town of Brunswick Building department today (April 29), NOT approved for any project.

It is owned by Mainello and Murley, but there is no record of anything having come before the town Planning Board for developing it. The town has put in calls to both men to investigate what they are doing.

According to my further research, Tom Murley did get most, if not all, of the needed approvals in 2005 for the Brunswick Meadows condominium development nearby, fronting on Route 142 (Grange Road), but my contact at the Building Department says the two plots of land are separate parcels.

The map below shows the current land-clearing activity (wavy line along Oakwood Avenue). The arrows show the proposed Brunswick Meadows development).

More to come at Monday night's meeting.

There is hope for humanity

Anytime you feel the world has gotten too sad or out-of-order, something comes along that restores your faith in the human soul.

Take a look at this event -- 200 dancers in Antwerp, Belgium, who had rehearsed together only twice, hoofing it in grand style in the main railroad station to a recording of Julie Andrews singing "Do Re Mi" from "The Sound of Music."

It was an unannounced event, so the reactions from onlookers are real.

A thank-you note for the Easter Bunny

We want to thank the kind but unknown Easter Bunny for all its work and activity.

We were so excited to find the eggs at Grandma and Grandpa's house at 17 Hyland Drive and to confirm to us that the people of the Terrace are the very nicest people we know.

-- Jesalyn, Lauren and Rosie Claeys

Meeting reminder -- and additions

Please circle the date on your calendar for the regularly scheduled May Terrace Homeowners Association meeting:

7 p.m. Monday, May 3
Faith Lutheran Church

With so many new residents of the Terrace, we are hoping to get a strong turnout.

In addition, we will hold a special election to fill a Board of Directors position. If you are interested, please contact Nominating Committee Chairman Bob Hayward at 233-0370. If we have more than one candidate, election will be by secret ballot.

We also will be adding one thing to our normal agenda: An open discussion period. It will be held immediately after the close of the regular meeting, and be a time for residents to ask questions or voice concerns in an informal period which will not be subject to being recorded in the meeting minutes.

Resident updates

• Terry Page now is an in-patient at Sunnyview Rehabilitation Center in Schenectady, working on overcoming the effects of a recent stroke suffered at her home. Feel free to send cards to her residence at No. 14, and they will be forwarded to her.

• Julia Austin has moved from this Terrace to the Terrace at The Eddy in Troy. Her phone number remains the same. Feel free to contact Julia if you know of anyone wishing to purchase her house at No. 8. She is handling the sale herself. (Details on the bulletin board.)

• The former DeLuca residence at No. 31 is on the market through Heer Realty.

About those 'missing' sticks ...

If you're wondering what happened to the metal sticks that tell snowplow operators what to avoid all around the Terrace, don't be concerned.

Grounds Committee Chairman Harvey Bailey and committee member Tom Chichester picked them up this morning (Friday) and put them back into storage.

It's not exactly on a par with Punxsutawney Phil and his weather predictions, but when Harvey sets his mind to it, we're confident he can prevent more plow-able snowfalls.

2nd quarter dues are coming up

The second installment of your 2010 Homeowners Association dues is due by Thursday, April 1.

Dues are $355 per household. Please send your checks, made payable to the Terrace H.O.A., to:

Terrace at Highpointe
Box 35
Troy, New York 12182.

Thank you.

Here are the Terrace's latest 'worker bees'

KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR THE "WORKER BEE" ICON ELSEWHERE ON THIS WEBSITE TO ALERT YOU TO VOLUNTEER WORK BEING DONE ON YOUR BEHALF.

Our recent call for volunteers to help staff several important committees for the Terrace Homeowners Association -- so we don't have to always rely on the same small group -- got some quick responses.

Not nearly enough, given how many comparatively new residents we have who have not yet become involved, but enough to get us into this new year.

Here are the HOA Board's list of officers and the committees:

THE BOARD
President/Webmaster Bill Dowd, 238-1950
Vice President, Harvey Bailey, 233-8579
Treasurer, Jerry Gordon, 235-8232
Secretary, John Milliren, 238-0445

GROUNDS COMMITTEE
Chairman, Harvey Bailey, 233-8579
Member, Tom Chichester, 235-9216
Member, Dick Harte, 238-1562

ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE
Chairperson, Bill Dowd, 238-1950
Member, Tom Chichester, 235-9216
Member, Ed Reilly, 272-7971

BEAUTIFICATION COMMITTEE
Chairperson, Ginny Chichester, 235-9216
Member, Claire Steiner, 235-9216
Member, Paula Fox, 233-1230

NOMINATING COMMITTEE
Chairperson, Bob Hayward, 233-0370
Member, Ginny Chichester, 235-9217
Member, Joan Richardson 221-8141

RULES COMMITTEE
Chairperson, Joe Claeys, 238-2575
Member, Bill Dowd, 238-1950
Member, Terry Page, 237-2188

Anyone else who wishes to be part of a committee, please call Bill Dowd ASAP.

Reassessment hearing on Tuesday

The City of Troy is actively considering a citywide property reassessment.

We say "actively" because the state-mandated reassessment has been in the offing for years, and Troy is behind the curve in considering what it will do.

If you want to make a public comment, or simply listen in, a public hearing has been scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 9, at the Lansingburgh Boys & Girls Club, 505 4th Avenue.

Terrace Wildlife Watch

PHOTOS BY BILL DOWD

The turkeys are on the prowl ...


... The smaller birds are smart enough to stay indoors ...


... and the people are, too.

Photos by April and Bill Dowd

Board, committee seats available to you

TO TERRACE RESIDENTS

We have several great opportunities available for residents to become involved in the operation of the Terrace Homeowners Association.

Due to the recent resignation of Kathy Murray, HOA treasurer, we have an immediate seat available on the Board of Directors. Our practice is to have an uneven number of board members to avoid ties in voting.

The current board consists of:

• Bill Dowd, President
• Harvey Bailey, Vice President/Grounds Committee Chairman
• Jerry Gordon, Treasurer
• John Milliren, Secretary

In addition, we have places available on several committees:

Architectural Committee: One person to join Chairman Bill Dowd and member Tom Chichester to review applications for exterior permanent modifications to individual homes, as well as the condition of permanent Terrace items such as retaining walls at the entrance.

Beautification Committee: Two or more persons to join Chairperson Betty Looney on the committee that handles mailbox gazebo decorations and other activities to seasonally improve the Terrace.

Nominating Committee: A three-person panel to create a slate of board candidates (a duty that will not become necessary to carry out until the fall of 2011).

THIS IS AN EXCELLENT chance for Terrace residents who have not been involved in the operation of the Association to join those of us who have been doing it for years. New energy and new ideas are both welcome and necessary to the continued vitality of our community.

There also is a financial bottom line. As long as we can continue handling Terrace business with volunteers, we can minimize any increases in our quarterly dues. However, lack of volunteer help at all levels will force us to consider hiring a professional management firm to handle Association business. That would cost, conservatively speaking, in the neighborhood of $15,000 or more per year, which would mean hundreds of dollars more per resident on top of what we already pay. And, it would be a price that would only escalate as time goes on.

PLEASE CONSIDER joining us in one capacity or another. Contact Bill Dowd at 238-1950 as soon as you can to discuss it.

-- Terrace Homeowners Association Board of Directors