Fairlington Glen
 NEWSLETTER                                                                                                                              March 2004

                                           MARCH 2ND BOARD MEETING

 

No significant contractual actions.

 

 

                                     BUILDING & GROUNDS COMMITTEE

 

If anyone is interested in serving as the Chairperson or Vice Chairperson of the Building & Grounds Committee, please contact Paul Greenfield at 703-820-9692.

 

 

                                          LANDSCAPE SUBCOMMITTEE

 

The seventeen‑year cicada infestation will begin this April and cause damage to twigs on shrubs and trees by sawing and opening to lay eggs which kills the twig. The larvae feed on the plant's roots once they hatch and fall to the ground. Established plants can survive, but newer plants may not. The cicada population is much larger in older communities such as Fairlington where the ground has not been disturbed by construction. We are therefore going to wait until the fall to do any new plantings. The Landscape Subcommittee will still have their Walk‑Through on March 20 and there will be no Landscape Subcommittee meeting in March because of the Walk-Through.

 

 

                                                     ACTIVITY CARDS

 

Activity card applications have been mailed to co-owners. No one will be allowed to use any recreational facility (pool, tennis courts, basketball courts, paddleball courts) after May 23rd without the new cards. Applications must be submitted to Legum & Norman no later than April 14th. If you have tenants in your unit and want to transfer your right to use the recreational facilities to them, you must send the signed application to them for their completion and submission.

 

 

                                                             CRIME

 

The battle against crime involves both the police and citizens. It is a widely accepted fact that Apolice can not be everywhere@. For this reason, the effective functioning of a police department is dependent on citizen cooperation and their resistance to crime. Many crimes would never be committed if more citizens would be alert to suspicious activity and take it upon themselves to notify the police. We are lucky to live in a relatively crime-free area; however, we are not immune. If you see any suspicious activity, please take appropriate action.

 

 

                                                        AUTO THEFT

 

While Fairlington continues to have a remarkably low overall crime rate, auto theft has been an occasional issue ... during the last six months, about ten cars were stolen. Older Japanese models are the most vulnerable because they are the easiest for thieves to enter and start without a key. Among U.S. makes, the Jeep Cherokee seems to have a cult following among some thieves (one resident had her same Jeep Cherokee victimized twice). The best and simplest protection is to use a Aclub‑like@ steering wheel locking device which is often available for less than $50 and may last a lifetime. Of several hundred cars stolen in Arlington last year, only an estimated 1% had a steering wheel locking system in place. While a few thieves with higher‑end knowledge can defeat these devices, there is little incentive to do so in Acar rich@ Fairlington ... they just move a short distance to an unprotected model of their choice.

 

 

                                                    RICKY=S CORNER

 

$                   The crew is repairing stoop brickwork on an emergency basis. Efforts are underway to contract for other brickwork throughout the community.

 

$                   We are completing repairs necessitated by recent snow storms. If you have any items that still need to be repaired, please contact Ricky.

 

$                   The crew will do preventive maintenance on all sewer laterals in March.

 

 

                                                        REMINDERS

 

REPAIRS. The maintenance staff places cones and tape in areas that present a danger to personnel. Please do not remove the cones and tape ... this could result in injuries and legal claims against the Glen.

 

SEWER LINES. Sewer backups are an unpleasant occurrence and Ricky and his crew do everything possible to ensure they are an infrequent one. However, we need to support his efforts by keeping items that contribute to sewer blockages and backups out of the sewer system so that neither you nor your neighbors have to experience a backup. Please be considerate by not putting sanitary napkins, dental floss, baby wipes, paper towels, condoms, tampons, or diapers down the commode. In addition, please inform your guests, house sitters, babysitters, etc. that our sewer lines are fragile and must be treated accordingly.

 

KITCHEN SINK BACKUPS. If you experience a backup of your kitchen sink, do not assume that the Glen is responsible ... most sink backups are the result of clogged pipes within the unit. The best way to determine where the fault lies is to flush the basement toilet. If it flushes properly, the backup is not a sewer problem and the co-owner is responsible for all efforts required to clear the backup. You should coordinate with your neighbors regarding both the repairs and what should and should not be placed in the sink drain since you probably share a common pipe.

 

DOG OWNERS. Please pick up the deposits left by your dogs ... Adey poop, you scoop@. There are trash receptacles throughout the Glen where the bagged goodies can be deposited. Dogs are to be kept on a leash at all times. No dog is to be tethered to any object in the common areas. Dogs are not permitted to run free except in designated Aoff-leash@ exercise areas in Arlington County. The closest dog exercise area to the Glen is currently at Utah Field.

 

PARKING. Parking in all courts is restricted to lined spaces. Parking is not allowed in court entrances, in fire lanes, or on lawns and sidewalks. Particular care should be taken if you are moving in or out of a unit ... make sure that you do not drive a trailer or other vehicle up on the grass. If you see this happening, please remind the resident and movers that it is not permitted. In addition, parking spaces in the courtyards are assigned to residents for their sole use. There have been instances where contractors and delivery personnel park in the courtyards while conducting their business. Please inform these personnel that the parking spaces are reserved and they need to park in the street. Towing is only allowed from your assigned parking space. You must have a towing code (call Barbara Walsh at 703-848-4332). Cars parked on the grass, double parked, parked in the entrances to the courts, or impeding the flow of traffic in the courts can only be towed by a Board member or an agent of Legum and Norman. Note that parking in front of the handicapped ramps to the sidewalks could result in a ticket from the Arlington Police, so play it safe and don=t park there.

 

RECYCLING. Materials that can be recycled are:

 

$                   Plastics with a 1 or 2 in the recycle symbol.

$                   Aluminum and tin cans with lids removed (aluminum foil is not acceptable).

$                   Mixed glass including clear, brown, and green bottles and jars (not household items such as china, light bulbs, drinking glasses, etc.). Please remove plastic caps and rings.

$                   Newspapers in paper bags or tied with string (not in plastic bags since this adds to the recycling expense). Magazines, newsletters, and other paper products and not acceptable.

$                   Broken down corrugated boxes.

 

Please note the recycling of everything other than paper products does not need to be sorted prior to being placed in the containers. This is done after the recyclables are picked up so feel free to mix your glass, plastic, and aluminum. Please rinse all containers since containers with contaminants can not be recycled. Do not put recyclables in plastic bags.

 

REPORTING PROBLEMS. You can contact Ricky and the chairpersons of the Landscape Subcommittee and Pool Committee by calling 703-820-9567. You can leave a message by pressing A1" for the Landscape Subcommittee and A2" for the Pool Committee. To leave a message for Ricky, wait for the tone at the end of the recorded message or press A9" or A#@ to end the recorded message and go to the tone. Please be courteous and don=t call these people at home. If you have an after-hours emergency maintenance problem or can not reach Ricky after a reasonable time, please call the Legum & Norman 24-hour emergency repair number ... 703-600-6000

 

HANDBOOK. All residents and co-owners should have a copy of the Fairlington Glen Handbook dated November 1999. Please review it occasionally since it provides essential information to ensure that you and your neighbors enjoy the wonderful experience of living in the Glen.

 

 

                                                          MEETINGS

 

All Glen meetings are held in the Fairlington Community Center at 3308 South Stafford Street. All residents are welcome.

$                   Board of Directors, 7:30pm, 1st Tuesday of the month

$                   Building and Grounds Committee, 7:30pm, 3rd Tuesday of the month (no meetings in August, November, and December)

$                   Landscape Subcommittee, 7:00pm, 2nd Tuesday of the month (no meetings in July, November, and December)

 

 

                                                   ON THE INTERNET

 

Visit Ahttp://www.fairlington.org/glenindex.htm@ for draft Board minutes, newsletters, and the Handbook. Please contact John Fuller if you have comments on Fairlington Glen information on this site.

 

 

The Fairlington Glen Newsletter is a communication channel by which the Board of Directors disseminates information to Glen residents and co-owners. Please provide any comments or recommendations to the Board Secretary, John Fuller, at fairlingtonglen@aol.com, or to any other Board member, prior to the monthly Board of Directors meeting.