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