A very merry Christmas

Happy Hannukah

Scenes from a holiday get-together

PHOTOS COURTESY OF JERRY GORDON

First increased dues payment coming up

The first quarter of your 2012 dues assessment is due to be paid by Sunday, January 1.

Dues now are $385, up $30 from the fourth quarter 2011 level, payable by checks made out to the Terrace at Highpointe Community Association.  You can save a stamp by depositing the check in the new mailbox directly below the postal gazebo bulletin board, or mailing your check to:

Terrace at Highpointe
35 Hyland Drive
Troy, New York 12182

Thank you.

Reminder: Exterior changes require Board approval

Dear Fellow Residents:

We have been having difficulties with people adding exterior lights to their residences without obtaining mandatory prior authorization.

The Declaration of Protective Covenants, Conditions, Restrictions, Easements and Liens of the Terrace at Highpointe Community Association Inc., which all Terrace homeowners are legally bound to follow, clearly states in Article VIII Section 8.03:

“No exterior addition, modification or alteration shall be made on or to such Unit or any other portion of the property or to the improvements located thereon, unless and until a plan or plans … shall have been submitted to and reviewed by the Committee and approved by the Board of Directors.”

If you have made any changes without submitting a proposal to the Architectural Review Committee, please bear in mind that you may be asked to remove them.Meanwhile, we strongly urge you to cease using such devices until, and if, proper authorization is achieved by first making application to the Architectural Review Committee. (see form below)

The Board of Directors, upon reviewing the findings of the Architectural Review Committee -- or determining that such findings have not been made because of lack of application, is legally empowered to request removal or turning off of such devices.

If ignored, the Board is empowered to levy both financial and non-financial penalties. A financial penalty, if not paid, becomes a lien against the property and any mortgage holder or other interested party will be made aware of such lien. A non-financial penalty could be ordering the physical removal of the device.

Than you for adhering to the rules and covenants of your Terrace community. Our goal is to keep this as pleasant and enjoyable a community as it has been since its founding in 1995. However, we can only do so when all residents cooperate, as they are required to do, in the running of the Terrace at Highpointe Community Association.

Your Board of Directors

A new way to submit your quarterly dues

Hi, neighbors:

Your dues statement for 2012 is attached. Before you start writing checks out of habit, remember that they’ve gone up a bit.

As a parting gift from your out-going Board of Directors, there now is a white locked mailbox just below the bulletin board. You can deposit your checks there without a postage stamp.

You don’t even have to address the envelope; I’m the one who gets everything in that mailbox. As a matter of fact, you don’t even need an envelope, you can just drop in the check.

Of course, if you’re paying from out of town, you still can use the Post Office and regular mail.

You also can use this mailbox for any suggestions, comments or questions you may have for the Board.

Your faithful servant,

Jerry Gordon, Treasurer

Terrace at Highpointe Community Association

15 Hyland Circle

Troy, NY 12182-1690

(518) 235-8232

Vacant No. 13 about to get a tenant

Bryce Realty is in the process of executing a lease for 13 Hyland Circle.

As required by Terrace at Highpointe Community Association bylaws and regulations, THCA President Bill Dowd reviewed the proposed lease before its completion to be sure it meets required standards.

It does, indeed, meet all requirements, chief among them a minimum four-month signed lease (in this case, it actually is an 18-month document) as well as acknowledgement that no matter what arrangement is made between property owner Rose Hastings-Weaver and a lessee, all financial obligations, such as dues, special assessments and any fees the THCA may levy, the responsibility for paying them lies with the property owner.

In addition, the realty company was asked, and agreed, to inform the lessee that all residents are required to abide by the bylaws and regulations of the THCA and its covenants.

According to the proposed lease, the property will again be put up for sale on April 1, 2013, with the right of first refusal to the lessee.

That leaves only one property on the Terrace, Shirley Fischer's 28 Hyland Circle, still on the market for sale.

Troy mayor-elect reveals his transition team

Lou Rosamilia campaigning. (Troy Record photo)

Troy Mayor-elect Lou Rosamilia this week held his first meeting with transition team to begin implementing his vision for the city.

Here is the lineup of advisors, as posted and explained on Rosamilia's Facebook page:

---

The transition team is made up of five members:

Mark Pattison: Mr. Pattison is the former two-term mayor of Troy and is currently serving as the deputy comptroller for the New York State and Local Retirement System. In 2010, he received the distinguished John E. Burton Award for public service, given by Rockefeller College, State University of New York.

Wally Altes: Mr. Altes is an executive consultant, he serves as the chair of the Troy Downtown Collaborative and is the retired president of the Albany-Colonie Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Mark Streb: Mr. Streb is currently the Capital District regional representive to Governor Andrew Cuomo and is the past director of local government at the Department of State.

Susan Scrimshaw: Dr. Scrimshaw is the current president of the Sage Colleges and previously served as president of Simmons College in Boston. Prior to her post at Simmons, she served 12 years as the dean of the School of Public Health and professor of community health sciences and anthropology at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Prior to those roles, she was associate dean of public health and professor of public health and anthropology at the University of California at Los Angeles.

Jeff Nesich: Mr Nesich has over 32 years of experience in public finance and government administration at both the state and local level. He has a master's degree in public affairs and was awarded an excellence in government award by the American Society for Public Administration in 2010.

Mayor-elect Rosamilia also met with the chairs of six transitional committees, each of which will focus on and bring forth recommendations to the mayor-elect on specific areas of concern to the new administration.

Bill Dunne, the current and term-limited District 4 city councilman will lead a team focused on assessing and making recommendations to the mayor-elect on the the city's finances.

Peter Ryan, the former city councilman and current minority leader of the Rensselaer County Legislature will lead a team focused on staffing and personnel.

Jean Howard, who runs an entrepreneurship program through Fordham University and tracks new business development, incubation and the Capital Region venture capital market will lead a team focused on Troy's economic development.

Rev. Cornelius Clark, the president of the Troy branch of the NAACP and founder and pastor of Holy Serenity Church, who has spent most of his life in service to others, will lead a team focused on improving Troy's neighborhoods from the ground up.

Jack McCann, a retired detective and chief of police will lead a team focused on public safety.

William Fagan, of Wm. J. Fagan & Sons Inc., one of the oldest insurance agencies in the Capital District and a member of the Hudson Valley Community College Board of Trustees will lead a team focused on improving the relationship between the community and its universities.

Mayor-elect Rosamilia announced at the meeting his plan to fill necessary City positions through an open process.

"I stated repeatedly throughout my campaign that I would bring open government to Troy and that is exactly what I will do. I will fill positions in my administration in the light of day. Any interested parties may send their resume and cover letter by November 25 to MayorLou2012@gmail.com or PO Box 1305, Troy NY 12180."

Meet your new Terrace officer lineup

Kay Duclos

The incoming Board of Directors has gone through its first organizational sesssion and appointed officers for the 2012 calendar year.

• President: Kay Duclos
• 1st Vice President: Joan Richardson
• 2nd Vice President: Anne Hunter
• Treasurer: Jerry Gordon
• Secretary: Nadeen Thompson

Jerry and Joan are the two holdovers from the current board, which leaves office on December 31. Those leaving the board are President Bill Dowd, 1st Vice President Harvey Bailey and Secretary John Milliren.

A changeover meeting between the current and incoming boards has been scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday, December 5. If you wish to volunteer to join any of the standing committees -- Architectural, Grounds, Beautification -- please make a point of contacting any member of the 2012 Board before that date.

Check those light bulbs, clock watchers

Much as we hate to remind you, you'll be setting your clocks back one hour to mark the end of Daylight Saving Time on Sunday, November 6.

That is just a few weeks away, so please be sure to check all outdoor light fixtures well in advance to be sure your bulbs are operating and the fixtures are providing as much light as possible -- always an important thing to do when you live on streets with no municipal lighting.

Here's your new board of directors

In case you didn't attend the October general membership meeting, you may not know who was elected to terms covering 2012/2013.

Kay Duclos, a former board member, Nadeen Thompson and Anne Hunter were elected without dissent after being presented by Nominating Committee Chairman Bob Hayward.

They will join holdover directors Jerry Gordon and Joan Richardson.

A December changeover meeting has been scheduled for the newcomers, the holdovers and the departing members of the board. The latter group is Bill Dowd, Harvey Bailey and John Milliren.

We hope you will join us in congratulating the newly-elected directors, and that you'll afford them your support and cooperation during their terms.

-- Terrace at Highpointe Community Association Board

Happy Autumn to you

OK, today it's official.

We have reached the Autumnal Equinox. Unless, of course, you live below the equator. Then, you've reached the Spring Equinox.

Technically speaking, this occurs when the sun crosses the celestial equator and moves southward in the Northern Hemisphere during the September equinox.

The location on the Earth where the sun is directly overhead at solar noon is known as the subsolar point. The subsolar point occurs on the equator during the September and March equinoxes. At that time, the Earth’s axis of rotation is perpendicular to the line connecting the centers of the Earth and the sun.

This is the time when many people believe that the Earth experiences 12 hours of day and night. However, that's not precisely true. During the equinox, the length of night and day across the world is nearly, but not entirely, equal.

This is because the day is slightly longer in places that are further away from the equator, and because the sun takes longer to rise and set in these locations. Furthermore, the sun takes longer to rise and set farther from the equator because it does not set straight down -- it moves in a horizontal direction. Moreover, there is an atmospheric refraction that causes the sun's disk to appear higher in the sky than it would if earth had no atmosphere.

If you don't care for all that technical stuff, just remember this. Summer officially is over.

Notice of membership meeting and election

We will be meeting at 7 p.m. Monday, October 3, 2011, at Faith Lutheran Church, 50 Leversee Road, opposite the Buckley Water Treatment Plant.

One the agenda are, among other items, election of officers for the 2012-13 fiscal year as well as consideration of a modification in the quarterly association dues.

The Nominating Committee, chaired by Past President Bob Hayward, has put together a slate of candidates for upcoming vacancies on the Board of Directors when President Bill Dowd, Vice President Harvey Bailey and Secretary John Milliren complete their terms and leave the Board at the end of this year.
(Treasurer Jerry Gordon and Vice President Joan Richardson will continue on the Board.)

The Nominating Committee’s candidates:

• Nadeen Thompson
• Kay Duclos
• Anne Hunter

However, if anyone else wishes to be put forth as a candidate, please contact Bob Hayward before the October 3 meeting.

And, please remember the October 1 deadline for paying fourth quarter dues assessments.

Thank you,

Your Board of Directors

4th quarter dues coming up

The fourth quarter of your 2011 dues assessment is due to be paid by Saturday, October 1.

Dues are $355 per household. Please send your checks, made payable to the Terrace at Highpointe Community Association, to:

Terrace at Highpointe
35 Hyland Drive
Troy, New York 12182

Thank you.

The Senior Citizens' situation

Senior citizens are constantly being criticized for every conceivable deficiency of the modern world, real or imaginary. We know we take responsibility for all we have done and do not blame others.

However, upon reflection, we would like to point out that it was NOT the senior citizens who took:

The melody out of music,
The pride out of appearance,
The courtesy out of driving,
The romance out of love,
The commitment out of marriage,
The responsibility out of parenthood,
The togetherness out of the family,
The learning out of education,
The service out of patriotism,
The Golden Rule from rulers,
The nativity scene out of cities,
The civility out of behavior,
The refinement out of language,
The dedication out of employment,
The prudence out of spending,
The ambition out of achievement or
God out of government and school.

And we certainly are NOT the ones who eliminated patience and tolerance from personal relationships and interactions with others.

And, we do understand the meaning of patriotism, and remember those who have fought and died for our country. Just look at the Seniors with tears in their eyes and pride in their hearts as they stand at attention with their hand over their hearts!

YES, I'M A SENIOR CITIZEN!

I'm the life of the party -- even if it lasts until 8 p.m.

I'm very good at opening childproof caps -- with a hammer.

I'm awake many hours before my body allows me to get up.

I'm smiling all the time because I can't hear a thing you're saying.

I'm sure everything I can't find is in a safe secure place, somewhere.

I'm wrinkled, saggy, lumpy, and that's just my left leg.

I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.

Yes, I'm a Senior Citizen and I think I am having the time of my life

Now if I could only remember who sent this to me, I wouldn't send it back to them, but I would send it to many more, too.

Scenes from a pizza party

The first social get-together of the year was the Terrace Pizza Party, held Friday, August 12, at the common lawn in the circle.

Tickets available for 'Troy Restaurant Tour'

If you'd like to try a variety of local restaurants' fare, the 2nd annual Troy Restaurant Tour may be just the ticket.

The event is scheduled for 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, August 30.

And, speaking of tickets, I have a handful for sale at the discounted price of $20 each. That is $10 off the day-of-the-event price.

The culinary sampling event is a fundraiser to support the Troy Boys & Girls Club services and programs.

Here's how it works:

• Participants get a chance to stroll through Troy, stopping in at participating restaurants to sample their fare. 

• If you plan to go, you'll receive a "tour guide" -- which is a map and menu of participating venues -- that evening. At each venue, a Troy Boy & Girls Club volunteer will direct you to the food. 

• You can start at any venue where you'll pick up your map and proceed at your own pace, visiting restaurants in any order you like

Who's involved? So far ...

Bootleggers On Broadway 
(245 Broadway)

Daisy Baker's 
(33 2nd Street)

DeFazio’s Wood Fired Pizza 
(266 4th Street)

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que 
(377 River Street)

DP Dough
(71 4th Street)

Famous Lunch
(111 Congress Street)

Flavour Café
(228 4th Street)

Francesca’s 
(461 Broadway)

Lo Porto’s Ristorante 
(85 4th Street)

Boys & Girls Club Director Sharon Smith tells me several other restaurants will be added. But, even with the number listed above, that breaks down to just $2.22 per sampling stop. A nice evening, a good way to get to know your city a bit more, and its all for a good cause.

-- Bill Dowd

Polling place location changed

If you are a registered voter, you should have received notice of a change in your local polling place.

The Rensselaer County Board of Elections has been mailing out yellow notice cards to Terrace residents, informing them that the location for casting their votes has changed from the Buckley Water Treatment Plant on Leversee Road to the Community Room at Diamond Ridge, 59 Harris Road.

Incidentally, if you are in need of an absentee ballot application or voter registration form, contact the Board of Elections by calling 270-2990 or going online here to download forms.

Absentee ballots are made available to registered voters who will be out of the county on Primary Day or General Election Day, or are ill or physically disabled and unable to go to the polling place.

• Primary Election – Tuesday September 13, from noon to 9 p.m. 
• General Election – Tuesday, November 8, from 6 am to 9 p.m.

Of city water meter replacements and billing woes

Pat Whitman at No. 27 has had the honor of being the first Terrace homeowner to have her water meter replaced. And, according to what she found out, she'll be the only one for a while.

Pat recently received written notice from the City of Troy that it would be replacing her meter. She tells us that when she checked into the matter, she was told "The plan is to change everyone over but our area isn't at the top of their list."

Hers was changed because of an access problem. No word on when the rest of us will have the changeover.

Incidentally, it would be a good idea to closely check your sewer and water bills from the city. There have been several instances reported in the Times Union of vastly inflated bills and intransigence on the part of the City of Troy to rectify the problems. If you run into a billing problem, go here to check out the city's official procedures.

Here is the latest story on billing woes, by TU "Advocate" columnist Cathy Woodruff:

TROY WATER DEPARTMENT LEAVES HOMEOWNERS HIGH, DRY

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Dawn Conville at home. (Times Union photo)

TROY -- Dawn Conville found the Troy Water Department ultimatum hanging on her front door Tuesday: Pay $498 or her water would be shut off on Aug. 16.

Conville is the latest in a stream of Collar City homeowners who have contacted me to report high-handed treatment by the city Water Department, where consumers who dispute their bills or alleged usage are told to pay up or face dire consequences.

I consider it a virtual shakedown of Troy water consumers, who endure a cold shoulder from city officials because Troy has established no system of due-process rights for residents who believe their water bills are inaccurate.

"I am frustrated beyond belief," Conville told me Thursday. "I've been fighting with them for too long about this."

For more than a year and a half, Conville, 42, has been trying to determine why the water bills for the house she bought in 2005 have been inconsistent and unpredictable.

Her actual recorded quarterly usage was 7,700 gallons, back in the spring and summer of 2006, when she was billed $24.02 for water.

But in the last quarter of 2007, her alleged actual usage jumped to 27,700 gallons, and it has bounced up and down with no apparent pattern or reason since then. The peak came late in 2009 and in early 2010, when she received quarterly bills putting her usage at 40,100 gallons in October 2009 and 47,500 gallons on Jan. 19, 2010.

Those bills were for $137 and $163 (water portion only), respectively, and that's when Conville contacted the Water Department, started questioning the department's calculations of her usage and asked for help in determining the cause of the fluctuating readings.

The answer remains elusive.

The Water Department has twice conducted "flow tests" at her home to determine if she had a leak. Both times, no evidence of a leak was detected.

Conville also has searched assiduously on her own for some explanation for the inconsistent water bills.

"If I have a major leak, of course I want to know about it," she said.

Her house came with a lawn sprinkler system, which she has not used since the summer of 2009, but she decided to have that checked and serviced, anyhow. Nothing was found to be amiss.

Conville said she finally felt relief this April, when Troy Public Utilities Commissioner Bill Bradley personally visited her house to check things out. She says he, too, found no leaks -- though he did take note of an old-style toilet and suggested she might want to replace it.

In May, she said, she was thrilled to see a bill that finally seemed to be in line with her actual water usage. The calculated water usage was 5,500 gallons, and she paid the new water and sewer charges totalling $52.20 in full.

She did not, however, pay the disputed back charges, she says, since Bradley had agreed that there were unexplained irregularities in her bills and he indicated the charges for "past usage" should be addressed in some way.

Then, this Tuesday, she found the brightly colored termination notice on her door. She contacted city officials, including Bradley and Neil Bonesteel, the longtime chief operator at the water plant.

A written response from Bonesteel says, as readers may not be surprised to hear, that Conville still is considered in arrears for her most recent bill because that payment was applied to the amount the city contends she owes for past usage and penalties.

Bonesteel's email also asserts that during his visit to her house, Bradley found a leaking toilet, which he fixed with an adjustment.

"Subsequent to that, multiple readings were taken showing the usage was under 100 gallons per day, indicating a leak had been repaired," he writes, adding "I believe the issues have been resolved."

That response has launched Conville, who works at home as a workers' compensation claims adjuster for an insurance company, into a new level of orbit.

"You just never get a straight answer," she said. "It's 'Nope, you don't have a leak.' Then, it's 'You must have a leak. That's your problem.' Can someone stop talking in circles and give me the real story here?"

In combing through her bills for clues, Conville has found a particularly puzzling inconsistency.

In January 2010, when a sewer pipe was replaced, she says, the Water Department reset her meter to zero. The May 18, 2011, cumulative reading on her last bill was 92,592 gallons, indicating she had used that much water since the meter was reset.

But we added up the quarterly gallons charged on the five bills covering the period from Jan. 19, 2010, to May 18 of this year, and that sum indicates she was billed for a total of 119,001 gallons. That is 26,409 gallons -- or 28 percent -- more than the amount on the meter.

"That, right there, should be enough for them to say, 'We have a problem. How can that be?' " Conville said.

Since there is no verified problem with the meter, Conville has been speculating about a possible clerical error.

"It's probably some stupid thing like someone put the wrong number in the computer and it just kept snowballing," she said. "Why not just check the records? People make mistakes. I understand that."

Conville thought she'd finally found someone willing to take her seriously when Bradley, the public utilities commissioner, came to her house.

"Mr. Bradley said to me, 'Your bills are all over the place.' Those were his exact words," she said.

I tried to reach Bradley to get his take on things several times on Thursday and Friday and, after being encouraged to leave messages -- which I did -- I learned that he was out of the office on vacation.

I also was directed to Jeff Pirro, a spokesman for Mayor Harry Tutunjian, who has responded to my inquiries about water customer problems in the past.

He sent this response via email: "We are aware of Ms. Conville's concerns and city staff has investigated the issues she raised."

I'll leave it to readers to judge how illuminating that is.

Generally, I remain concerned about the lack of rights for Troy water customers who contest their water bills or face huge retroactive charges. I hope that the city's next administration will be more attentive to this issue.

In May, Troy City Court Judge Matthew Turner ruled against retiree Eugene Booth, another city resident who was slapped with a big bill for past water usage.

Booth objected to being billed retroactively -- originally $1,309, reduced to $530 -- for water the city claimed he used over many years, but for which he was not billed at the time. The city contends that its own outdoor device, which city workers were using to calculate Booth's water bills, was faulty.

The city's position is that Booth's actual cumulative usage was recorded on an indoor meter, which was replaced during a meter-upgrade program and had not been read before.

Even if that's so, I believe it is deeply unfair to charge water customers retroactively, years later, for usage that was not detected at the time and for which they were not billed.

Turner decided that Booth hadn't met a legal burden of proof to show that the city's meter readings were inaccurate as a result of fraud, mistake or accident. It does not matter that this is not what Booth believes happened; that's what he had to prove to win his case.

I hope Conville won't find herself facing such an unreasonable standard sometime down the line.

Harvey Bailey on the mend

Harvey Bailey, one of the most stalwart and tireless volunteers on the Terrace, is recuperating from cardiac surgery.

According to Lorraine, Harvey underwent a quintuple bypass and a valve replacement, but is doing well.

We urge you to send cards to the Bailey residence, and keep Harvey and Lorraine in your thoughts and prayers.

2 units for sale on the Terrace

We now have two units on the Terrace up for sale.

Shirley Fischer has just put No. 28 on the block. While we wish her success in the venture, potentially losing Shirley as a neighbor is a sad thing for all of us.

In addition, Rose Hastings-Weaver's No. 13 has been up for sale for a number of months.

If you know anyone interested in making the Terrace their home,  Coldwell-Banker is handling Shirley's house and Bryce Realty is handling Rose's.

Summer pizza party this Friday

Feeling in a pizza-and-conversation mood? Then be sure to sign up at the mailbox gazebo for this Friday's pizza party.

The weather forecast is good, but we'll nevertheless be dining under a tent, so any sneaky showers shouldn't be a problem.

We already have more than 20 people ready to attend the event. Details are on the signup sheet.

About those dead plantings ...

A harsh winter and a summer of erratic weather have taken their toll on landscaping throughout the Terrace. In addition, many of the older plantings have run their natural course.

Some residents have taken appropriate steps to repair and/or replace damaged and dead plantings. Unfortunately, some have not.

As part of its responsibility to help maintain the appearance and property values of our community, your Association Board of Directors is taking this opportunity to remind everyone of the requirement to maintain grounds.

As stated in the bylaws and covenant of the Terrace, and recently emphasized in an extract of “do’s and don’ts” circulated to all homeowners:

“Dead trees or shrubs must be removed from any property in a timely fashion. Any costs for doing so are the responsibility of the property owner unless said plantings are on Association property.”

Our thanks to all of you for your cooperation.

-- Your Board of Directors

When this happens, retire gracefully

3rd quarter dues coming up

The third installment of your 2011 dues is due by Friday, July 1.

Dues are $355 per household. Please send your checks, made payable to the Terrace at Highpointe Community Association, to:

Terrace at Highpointe
35 Hyland Drive
Troy, New York 12182

Thank you.

Terrace at a crossroads

Dear Terrace Residents:

We have reached a bit of a crossroads in the operation of the Terrace at Highpointe Community Association (THCA). What it means is that the possibility is growing that your quarterly dues could significantly increase, as much as 100% or more.

Why? Because we don't have the level of volunteer participation we need. While simply purchasing a home in a community does not mean one has to socialize with everyone there, helping with its operation creates a pleasant atmosphere and strong property values. Too many Terrace residents do not participate in the THCA.

We are nearing an opportunity to change that attitude. We will be electing three new members to the Terrace Board of Directors at our October meeting.

Jerry Gordon and Joan Richardson will remain on the board, but we need successors for me after three terms as president, and for Harvey Bailey and John Milliren.

Past President Bob Hayward again is chairing the Nominating Committee. If you are interested in volunteering to stand for election, please contact him ASAP.

Because we run the THCA using the business, legal and other expertise of volunteers from the community, we are able to avoid paying a professional management company to handle our affairs. That keeps your dues low. But, with a continued lack of broad resident participation and the fact that the same core of people doing the work year after year is becoming onerous, we will be facing a move to a management company.

Based on the experience of other community associations in the region, you would be looking at doubling your dues payments as well as losing direct access to board members and receiving rapid response to architectural applications and to problems.

I urge each of you to seriously consider running for a seat on the Board. It is your community and we need more people sharing the workload.

Bill Dowd
THCA President

Lazy, hazy days of summer are here

The rising sun seen through Stonehenge.

This Tuesday afternoon, June 21, marks the Summer Solstice, the official start of Summer.

The word "solstice" comes from a combination of Latin words meaning "sun" (sol) and "to stand still" (stice). As the days lengthen, the sun rises higher and higher until it seems to stand still in the sky.

The Summer Solstice results in the longest day and the shortest night of the year. Looked at another way, the days will only grow shorter as we proceed, so enjoy every daylight hour you can.

Flower thief strikes again

Ginny Chichester informs us that "Someone appears to have sticky fingers again this season. They felt the need to take one of the flower pots at the mail box."

If anyone sees any suspicious-looking character(s) messing with our decorations, please let us know right away.

I suggested to Ginny that we could hold a combination "pizza party/firing squad" event if we catch the creep.

Minutes of May 16, 2011 meeting

Terrace at Highpointe Community Association

General Membership Meeting Minutes
May 16, 2011  

Attendance (24 units): 1,3,4,6,7,8,9, 11,12,14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 21, 22, 25,26, 28,
29,30,32,33, 34.

President Bill Dowd convened the meeting at 7 p.m., then called for a moment of silence in honor of the late Julia Austin.

• Bill welcomed new Terrace resident Ned Elasky, and the returning "snowbirds."

• The reading of the minutes of the General Membership Meeting of October 4, 2010 was waived upon unanimous consent.

Jerry Gordon gave the Treasurer's Report. Due to the extreme winter, the cost of snow removal is $7,000 over budget. The Board will have to decide in October how to handle any budget deficits. There was a saving of $4,000 by eliminating spring  mulching this year. Bill commented that the Board of Directors has adopted a policy stating that if the Association’s checking account balance is below $6,500 or above $10,000 at the end of the calendar year, an automatic review of the dues structure will be triggered. The Treasurer's Report was adopted without dissent.

• Architectural Committee: No activity since the last member meeting.

• Grounds Committee: Harvey Bailey reported that two trees uprooted during a winter storm have been replaced in the strip fronting Hyland Court. In addition, many sections of lawn were reseeded to make up for ice and snow damage.

He also announced a June Spring Cleanup event. There also will be a sign-up sheet posted in the mailbox gazebo for those residents who do not want their shrubs pruned by Vintage Landscaping this year. Harvey suggested that the Association could skip the mulching every two years.

In response to a question regarding the cost of snow plowing, Harvey commented that Mark is dependable, he is the only one who will shovel sidewalks, he always comes when needed, and he was available to rake the roofs.

Harvey reported that the seal coating of the common blacktop areas will be done by Vintage at a cost of $1,500. He noted that all Hyland Court residents needs to have their driveways seal coated.


• Beautification Committee: Bill thanked Ginny Chichester and Claire Steiner for their work.

• Old Business:

Bill announced that a "How-to document" based on the original Bylaws of the Association has been prepared and asked members to pick up a copy before they left the meeting. It is intended to be a quick guide to Terrace rules and policies.

New Business:

Volunteerism -- Bill commended Tom Chichester and Harvey Bailey for the large amount of work they have done to replace the two blue spruce trees, as well as their ongoing efforts to maintain the terrace grounds. He also said we need more people to be involved in the Association's activities, especially since we have a lot of professional expertise among residents. We will need volunteers to serve on the Board of Directors when three seats are up for election in the Fall. Bob Hayward, a past president, was asked to again head the Nomin ating Committee fir the October election.

The next meeting was scheduled for 7 p.m. October 3, 2011.

Peaceable Kingdom Animal Rescue seeks help

THIS STORY IS REPRODUCED FROM THE WEBSITE OF THE SOUTHERN RENSSELAER COUNTY ROTARY CLUB. IF IT IS OF ANY INTEREST TO YOU TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE CAUSE, PLEASE CONTACT APRIL.

April Dowd, one of our new members, spearheaded a drive to collect supplies for the Peaceable Kingdom Animal Rescue project, headed locally by Columbia County Deputy Sheriff Wendy Guntert.

Wendy spoke at our April 7 meeting, describing the organization's volunteer mission to rescue abused and unwanted dogs and other animals, re-socialize them, get appropriate medical care as needed, and find new homes for them. Many are rescued from "kill shelters" in Southern states, although in her job with the Sheriff's Department Wendy also comes across horrendous cases of animal abuse.

April and Bill, with the support of several other people including Terry Brewer, acquired the supplies. On Saturday, April and Bill delivered them to Wendy at her home in Hillsboro where she has extensive housing for the animals as she and other Peaceable Kingdom volunteers seek homes for them.

They delivered 80 pounds of dog food, 30 pounds of cat food, 40 pounds of cat litter, numerous towels and other items. Wendy expressed her gratitude for the support.

April said she will continue to collect items for the program as part of her Rotary effort, and has asked all Southern Rensselaer Club members to contribute pet food coupons; unwanted, clean towels; bleach; newspapers; cat food, and Iams brand dog food. Financial support also is gladly accepted to help with veterinary bills and follow-up medical care.

Incidentally, Peaceable Kingdom is working on its first permanent shelter, located in North Granville, Washington County. Presently, rescued animals are housed at volunteers' residences.

What follows is a look at Wendy and some of her current temporary boarders.

PHOTOS BY BILL DOWD

Spring Cleanup '11 another success

Many of the mature plantings around the Terrace are showing signs of nearing the end, their demise helped along by the unusually harsh winter. Nevertheless, the common areas once again are spruced up for the summer.

Led by Grounds Committee Chairman Harvey Bailey, an energetic group of dedicated gardeners, painters and fixer-uppers on Saturday trimmed, plucked, planted, brushed, sawed and scrubbed their way through winter's accumulated muck and debris to make Spring Cleanup 2011 a success.

The work crew:

Harvey and Lorraine Bailey, Ed and Elaine Reilly, Tom and Ginny Chichester, Bill Dowd, Joe Claeys, Russ Golino, Trent Cox, Nadeen Thompson, Jack Coyne, Tom Savchick, Amy Willard, Betty Looney, Paula Fox and Bob Malphus, Fil Steiner, Bob Hayward.

To those who show up virtually every year, our earnest thanks. To those who usually do but had conflicting demands this year, see you next year. For those who never bother helping ... well, enjoy the fruits of your neighbors' labor and the lovely look of the Terrace.

Here are a few candid shots I took of the work effort.

-- Bill Dowd