·         Message from the President

·         Mews Calendar

·         News to Muse

·         Click Here Dude - Mews Web Site Resources

·         Volunteers at Work - Committee Reports

 

·         Board Minutes Highlights

·         Timely Tips

·         Early Spring Gardening Tips      

·         Featured Mews Resident

·         Landscaping Calendar of Events

Message from the President

 

“Serendipity”

 

Webster’s Dictionary defines Serendipity as: The gift of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for. We can all think of lottery winners or the occasional person who wins the jackpot after putting just one quarter in a random slot machine and consider this serendipitous. However, most of us never truly see these things ever happening to us. I personally never play the lottery (unless the jackpot is “really high”) because I have always believed that you had a better chance of being struck by lightening, on a golf course, while sinking a hole-in-one, on a clear day, than ever winning any real money. This may sound skeptical to you, but I prefer to think of it as historical realism. Having said this, you can imagine my surprise at the events which are currently occurring in my life.

 

Like many other residents of the Mews, I believe that we have the perfect home. The only thing that could make our home better than perfect would be to have just a little more space. For most, the term “more space” might mean a bigger closet or another bedroom. For me, it is all of that and another bathroom thrown in for good measure!  Seeing that we live in a Dominion, this may sound a little greedy, but between five of us – we fill it up pretty well.

 

My wife, Teri, and I have talked many times about building out the attic or renovating the basement and even gave ourselves a deadline of this summer to decide our course of action. However, this was the furthest thing from our minds two Sunday’s ago when we were out driving along the Potomac down near Mount Vernon and we decided to drop by and visit with a friend of ours from church. We have been to this neighborhood several times before and always thought about the possibility of eventually moving there – but never seriously. While we were there we noticed an open house sign and decided to venture in out of curiosity. Within five minutes of being there, we realized that it offered everything that we needed for our expanding family. We decided that the opportunity was before us now and it might not be present by the time our summer decision deadline rolled around. The following day we put in a contact and by 9:30 that night we found out it had beat out the competition and been accepted!  Our closing date has been set for early April and our lives have been trapped in a continuous whirlwind. This past weekend, our Dominion went on the market and during Sunday’s Open House, over 100 people came by to look. We expect to review contracts after only three days on the market.

 

So what does this have to do with Serendipity? Up until this point, nothing. However, as I sit and write this, I can see the pool out of my dining room window and I know that in just a few months it will be teaming with activity and emitting all of the comforting sounds of another summer in the Mews. I can also see the trees and shrubs all covered with buds and I know that soon the grounds will be lust and green again - the prize for enduring another Washington winter. I can also see the sadness in the faces of my neighbors, most of whom have had a front row seat for watching my kids grow up. I feel my own eyes well up as I endeavor to explain to my neighbors and fellow Board members the crazy circumstances that have taken place which have lead to this decision on such short notice. It is all of these things that bring me to the discovery that while we came to Fairlington to find a home, what we found was a community.  I also know that while we now have more space for our family to grow, we will never be able to replace or duplicate the kind of community that exists here at the Mews.  That is “Serendipity”.

 

It has been an honor to serve you as a member of the Board of Directors for the Mews.

 

Rob Stewart - President, Fairlington Mews

rstewart78@yahoo.com

 

News

       to

              Muse

Court Sign Replacement

 

The Mews Board of Directors has had under discussion a proposal to replace the court entrance signs due to the deteriorating condition of the current signs.  Replacing the signs will eliminate the variety of sign shapes currently in place and bring a more pleasing appearance to the court entrances.

 

The new signs, similar in design to the existing ones, will be of cedar construction set in concrete; the colors will remain as a brown background with white lettering as exists throughout Fairlington.  The white lettering will be enhanced with a reflective ingredient to improve visibility at night.  Plans are to make court numbers and street addresses more prominent. In addition to the current references to “Reserved Parking” and “Towing”, the new signs will include “Private Property” and “No Solicitation”.

 

The design of the new signs will be presented at the March 23rd board meeting.  Residents interested in commenting about this project should contact Mews Board members David Biette and Gretchen Martin (numbers given on the last page of this news letter).  (Sample Sign on Page 5)

 

Obituary Notice

 

It is with sadness that we tell you that Margaret Avery, “Granny,” died peacefully in our home on December 29, 2003.  She had been with us a little over eight years, and after two strokes and a broken hip, declined gradually in her physical and mental capacities.  Remarkably, she remained a kind, generous, concerned person who kept her dignity and caring nature until the end.  Her sense of humor never left her.  Whatever anyone did for her, she always said, “Thank you.”  Whatever she was eating, she always wanted to share.  Some magical quality came through, engraved by the many years of her life, which even her great grandchildren felt:  they adored her. 

 

 

Granny was survived by her sons, Gordon and John, 12 grandchildren, and 7 great grandchildren.  She lived a full, rich and happy life as a bacteriologist, school teacher, wife, mother, grandmother  and greatgrandmother—of which 21 years were spent in Beirut and Tehran.  She died, pleased and happy with her life, at the age of 102 years, 7 months, and 11 days.  In spirit, she will never leave us.

 

Our love to you all.

Gordon Avery and Penny Glass

 

 

Click Here, Dude!
Fairlington Web Site Resources

 

Many of you already have visited and made good use of this Community web site - www.fairlington.org.  Here are some helpful links:

·         Mews Handbook  http://www.fairlington.org/mewshand.htm

·         Board Minutes/Newsletters

http://www.fairlington.org/mewsindex.htm

·         Virginia Condominium Act http://www.chadwickwashington.com/community/va.pdf

 

           

Volunteers

   At

       Work

 

 

Landscape Committee

 

The Mews Landscape Committee met on December 8, January 12, and February 9 at 7:00 PM at the South Fairlington Community center.  Regular meetings are held on the second Monday of each month.  Contact a committee member to verify exact meeting time and location.

 

Bartlett Tree Service completed its tree assessment in late January at a cost of $1350.00 which is applicable to services to be received. The report identifies the following needs to ensure tree health:

·         Subsurface fertilization of all trees (over 300); fertilize 50/ 60 trees each year during a five year rotation cycle

·         Treat identified diseases which include Wax Scale on Hemlocks; infestation of Obscure Scale on Oaks; infestation of Elm bark beetles; and Woodborer protection for Elms

·         Removal of large Red Oak behind Courtyard 3 (or intermediate pruning)

·         Correctional pruning of trees throughout the common areas

Total cost of all services would be over $25,000; Bartlett Tree Service and the Landscape Committee prioritized immediate needs and submitted a proposal for services at the February 25 board meeting. Services requested include:

·         Disease Suppression – American Elms

·         Insect Suppression – Wood Borers

·         Major pruning – Red Oak – rear Court 3

·         Pruning – Court 2, back 3602, American Elm; Court 11, front 3442 and 3422, Red Maples; Court 12, left 3520, American Elm; Court 11, left 3426, London Plane tree; Court 12, front 4625/ 27, Red Maples; Court 14, back 4627, Willow Oak; and Court 6, front 4686, Bradford Pear.

 

The Photinia hedge at the King St. boundary was diagnosed with Entomosporium, a fungal disease.  To prevent future damage from this air borne leaf spot disease, the Mews board accepted a proposal from Environmental Enhancements to prune the hedge, allowing light and air penetration, and to spray with a fungicide, Cleary 3336, at 7 day intervals during the growing season as long as the disease is present.  Three applications should eliminate the problem.

Environmental Enhancements also removed the trash accumulation on outside/ inside of the fence along King St. and removed three Red Cedars that had fallen behind Court 4.  They also removed the ground chips from the stump removal in Court 2 and restored the turf area affected.  Costs for ALL services from Environmental Enhancements totaled $3,350.00.

 

The Landscape Committee plans to fill in and correct some of the areas which were not planted in the fall planting.  Replacement plantings resulting from the fall sewage work will occur in April in Courts 1, 5, and 9.  (Residents of these courts were notified of the plantings last fall.)   The committee is also considering work at the common beds at the 34^th/ 36^th Street corner and in Court 1, if funding allows.   The two ‘Nellie Stevens’ hollies installed in Court 10 will be removed and two smaller growing foster hollies will be substituted.  The two redbuds at Court 12 entrance (which have died) will be replaced with Kousa dogwoods or similar small trees in late March.

 

The spring clean up is scheduled to begin on Monday March 8, weather permitting.   All beds will be edged.  Beds not marked with a reflector will be mulched.  Reflectors, indicating that residents do their own maintenance, must be prominently displayed in the beds to avoid confusion.  The flower bed waiver must be on file.  Residents maintaining their own beds must also mulch with shredded hardwood mulch.

 

As part of the annual spring clean up, Euonymus, Yews, and other overgrown shrubs will receive renovational pruning below window height to allow for new, more naturalistic growth.  Euonymus will quickly recover from such pruning, and Yews will make progress over the growing season. These shrubs will look “bare” for a while, but this pruning will eliminate the need for shearing the shrubs in the future and will allow them to grow naturally.

 

Residents are advised that changing the landscape near their units requires a variance from the Mews Board of Directors.  Such requests MUST BE SUBMITTED IN WRITING to the Landscape Committee.  Requests for pruning beyond what is included in the grounds contract and/ or replacement plantings must also be submitted in writing.

 

A calendar of grounds work for the 2004 season is included in this newsletter.  The next Landscape Committee meetings are scheduled for March 8, April 12, and May 10.  All residents are encouraged to become involved with the work of this committee.

Landscape Committee

Lori Olivas, 703-379-4927, and Tom Corbin, 703-931-0687

Recreation Committee

 

The Mews Board of Directors approved the Recreation Committees request to purchase a picnic table for the common area near the pool. The committee is also considering the purchase of some new umbrellas and tables.                               

This summer the Mews will once again welcome Fairlington FINS, the youth swim organization, during the second week in July. Practices will take place from 3:30 to 5:30, with a swim meet on the Friday from about 6:00 to 8:00. All Mews residents are welcome to come and cheer on our swimmers! Sign-up for FINS will be announced in the All-Fairlington bulletin.

The contract with World Pool for the 2004 pool season will be signed soon. Owners will receive 2004 recreation pass applications as we get closer to the pool season, and applications will be included in packets for new residents. For more information, contact the committee at mewspool@biette.com.

 Watch for upcoming announcements of our first spring social hour. We plan to have an outdoor event in the green near the pool as soon as the weather warms up a bit!
Ann Timmons & Joanne Herman,

Recreation. Committee Co-Chairs
Shannon Watson, Chair, Department of Social Events

 

Questions? Problems?  Please address any questions to the Recreation Committee, in care of Ann Timmons, e-mail MewsRec@biette.com, or telephone 703-820-9589. The Committee will refer issues to the board of directors as necessary.

 

 

Board

   Minutes

          Highlights

 

Complete, detailed Mews Board Minutes can be found on the Fairlington Web Site at the Mews Home Page:

www.fairlington.org/mewsindex.htm

February 4, 2004

 

 Landscape Committee presented proposals for work to be done by Environmental Enhancements; the board approved their proposed new contract.

•       It was recommended that the recreation committee look at teak tables and consider that all outdoor furniture be cohesive in design.

•       The role of communications was discussed, including the possibility of putting more materials and forms on the web site.

•       The board  agreed to wait for a recommendation by the engineer before starting any work to correct the drainage problems in Court 11.

•       The board inspected samples of the steel and aluminum replacement poles for carriage lamps in Courts 10 and 11. Rob Stewart asked that a diagram of the conduit connection be presented before work commences on the poles.

•       There was general discussion about the trash that the current roofing company left on lawns and that the job took too long.

•       Satellite dish guidelines were sent back to counsel in order to simplify the language.

•       Variance request for a new front door at 4636 South 34th Street was denied.

•       The board considered a contribution to the Fairlington 5-K race but deferred a decision to the February 24 meeting.

•       The board discussed the possibility of having a logo designed for the Mews.

 

COURT ENTRANCE SIGNS. The Mews will soon be replacing the entrance signs for the parking lots. Please contact David Biette, Gretchen Martin or Jennifir Birtwhistle if you have suggestions or ideas. They will be meeting during the next few weeks to put forward a proposal for new signs.

 

 

Timely

          Tips

              By Sher Opal

                        Management Agent Representative

 

 

Completed Projects:

Sewer Relining Project: Year 1 of 10 completed in 2003.  Anticipate commencement of  Year 2 sewer line in spring 2004.

 

Projects in Process:

Masonry repairs are slow, along with many rotten wood repairs found during the painting of Courts 1 – 6 in 2003.

 

 

Upcoming Projects:

Replacement and rewiring of carriage lamps in Courts 10 & 11. Fixtures on order.

 

Court #11 Drainage Problem is being addressed and will coordinate work in conjunction with the new carriage lamp installation in this court.

New Parking Lot Signs under consideration

Q & A.

 

My lender is asking for a Condominium or Management Questionnaire. Where do I get this information?

 

Legum & Norman has a new service, call CondoCerts.  CondoCerts provides reliable, round-the-clock online access to all governing documents and critical project data for lenders, mortgage bankers, title companies, real estate agents and homeowners in need of information for Legum & Norman managed communities.

 

Your may log on to www.condocerts.com, follows the links to register, write down your user id and password. The documents can be immediately printed or downloaded to your PC after purchase.

 

 

Early Spring Gardening Tips

 

 

By the time you read this, the worst of the winter weather will hopefully be over, and we will see some evidence of spring!

 

The severe cold has not been kind to plants.  We will probably see the loss of plants which are marginally hardy in this area as a result of the cold, wind, and January drought.  Pansies planted in the fall have been severely affected but should recover with the advent of warmer temperatures.  As daylight lengthens and temperatures rise, an application of liquid fertilizer will benefit them. Also remove dead stems and blooms to encourage growth.

If you did not remove the tops of perennials in the fall, do this now as new growth emerges.  Cut off the tops of perennial grasses, liriope, and mondo grass to encourage new green. Pruning these plants after new growth begins results in blades which are flat rather than pointed.   Summer flowering shrubs can be pruned now, but do not prune spring flowering trees and shrubs until after blossoming. (The February 7 Washington Post gardening column gave some helpful tips on pruning azaleas.) Remember leaf debris and improper mulch, e.g. wood chips, encourages slug infestations.

 

Some plants have “heaved” out of the ground as a result of freezing and thawing.  Unless these plants are gently reset, they will not survive.  Do not attempt to perform major gardening chores until the soil dries out and becomes workable.  Daffodils and early spring bulbs are beginning to emerge; they will benefit from a light dressing of all purpose fertilizer. Gently working the mulch, particularly if it has become compacted, will aid the emerging bulbs. 

 

Remember that removing spring bulb foliage or tying it with rubber bands keeps the bulbs from setting flower buds for next spring.  Even though it looks unattractive, bulb foliage needs 10 to 12 weeks of growth to set next year’s flowers.

 

Winter hardy plants – helleborus, pansies, English daisies, etc. – may be installed as soil conditions improve and plants become available.  The last frosts in this area occur well after the middle of April, so do not plant warm weather materials until conditions stabilize. Early planting of warm weather material results in rot, stunted growth, and the need to replace!  Bleeding heart and peonies emerge quickly during warm days but may be burned if the night temps fall below freezing. A light covering of evergreen boughs or a light mulch will give some protection.

 

There are several links on the “Gardening Page” of www.fairlington.org which identify gardening techniques and sources which are helpful to Fairlington gardeners.

 

Mews residents are reminded that installing any annuals or perennials near a unit implies that the resident will take care of them.  Indicate this by completing a flower bed waiver form and submitting it.  Remember, the grounds crew members are not gardeners and perform only routine maintenance.  They are not expected to take care of plants added by residents.  If such plantings are not properly maintained, they will be removed.

 

          PROPOSED PARKING SIGN

                    SAMPLE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Featured Mews Residents

         

THE TALIAFERROS TALK ABOUT FAIRLINGTON

by Dick and Norma Taliaferro
of Fairlington Mews

 

Between the two of us, we have lived in Fairlington for thirty-nine years. Most of that time is Norma's; she moved here in 1971 as a renter and has lived in four different units. When she and Dick were married in April 1999, he left his long-time home in another part of Arlington and joined her at 3516 South Wakefield Street in Court 12.

From 1976 until 1995 she lived in the same court but in a smaller unit, a Barcroft. When Norma spied the FOR SALE sign in front of 3516 during the summer of 1995, she was ecstatic because she knew it was an Arlington. She'd been wanting a larger home but was reluctant to leave the beauty and friendliness of Court 12. She felt lucky to become the owner of an Arlington in her old, familiar court; yet she was even more fortunate than she knew. When she and Dick became engaged, they realized they could not ask for a more perfect place to live. And, when Norma had to have both hips replaced, they were happy that the floor plan provided the easy accessibility she needed as she recovered.

 

Norma gives her father credit for encouraging her to buy in Fairlington in 1976 as it made the transition from rental to condominium community. "My father was favorably impressed with the excellent condition of the brickwork," she explains.  "He felt that I could not go wrong if I invested here - and was he ever right!"

 

Besides enjoying their home and neighborhood, Norma and Dick have been pleased with the steady growth in value of their property. "Neither of us would have dreamed that it
would appreciate the way it has," Dick says. He especially likes the layout of Fairlington because it reminds him of a college campus. As former college advisers for a secondary school, both Dick and Norma have spent a lot of time at colleges and
universities; and they enjoy being reminded of those pleasant settings. Both of them are impressed, too, with the dedication and hard work of residents who serve the community as committee members, as court reps, and as members of the Mews Board. "We don't ever want to leave," the Taliaferros agree.

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Emergency Preparedness

 

·         Family Disaster Plan: http://www.fema.gov/library/famplan.shtm

·         Disaster Supplies Kit: http://www.fema.gov/library/diskit.shtm

·         Emergency Food/Water Supplies: http://www.fema.gov/library/emfdwtr.shtm

 

 

 

Fairlington 5K / 1K Fun Run/Walk

Saturday, April 3, 2004

“A Race Benefiting

AluminumCans for Burned Children”

 

For more information and Registration form,

please visit the web site at:

http://www.fairlington.org/5KRace2004.htm

Or

Contact Cory Loudenslager at 703-522-7500

 

March 2004                                                                            Fairlington Mews Council of Co-Owners