Yard of the Month
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WARNING
- Information
contained here is intended for members of the Crosswinds Homeowners
Association only. All other use is prohibited.
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2001
DEC 15, 2001 -
LUMINARIES & BALLOTS - THANK YOU
Crosswinds HOA Block Captains -
Luminaries went out today. Please deliver these AND the survey-ballots to your block. Along with the luminaries, each homeowner should receive a contest-survey ballot. We had several copies left-over after the luminary assembly, so if you did not receive these, please be sure to contact John Oldham (or myself). It's important that all homeowners have the opportunity to vote for their favorites and provide us with end-of-year feedback.
The holiday decorating contest judging runs next weekend from Fri-Sun, Dec 21-23. All official ballots must be received no later than midnight, Dec 23rd. The official ballot box is located in the front yard of the Davenport's residence at 1816 Lodestar Dr. Four prizes will be awarded: 1st, 2nd & 3rd place. And one lucky ballot will be drawn at random to be awarded a prize just for taking the time to vote! So be sure to encourage your neighbors to get out there and enjoy the sights!
(Also: We had lots of sand left-over. If you need any extra luminary supplies, sand, candles, bags, etc - please contact John Oldham. And thank you Oldhams & gang for hosting this year's luminary assembly operation! And last-but-not-least, thanks to all the helpers this morning. We made such quick work of it - we ended up with literally hundreds of extra bags of sand!)
Thanks again. Happy Holidays!
DEC 10, 2001 - Donuts & Coffee this Saturday Morning - LUMINARIES
*** IMPORTANT DATE: Saturday, December 15, 2001 ***
Crosswinds Block Captains & Home Owners . . .
Happy Holidays!! We need your help. Come meet your neighbors.
Annual Neighborhood Luminary Assembly Operation - Volunteers Wanted - No experience necessary!!
All are welcome to join your neighbors at 9:00 am this Saturday morning, December 15th to lend a hand and have some fun.
Meet at John Oldham's cul-de-sac @ 8616 Seagate Drive. It shouldn't take too long. The more hands we have - the quicker it will go.
Important: Please bring any leftover plastic grocery bags you may have. We will use these to distribute the sand.
Bonus: Donuts and hot coffee will be served! Yeah!
(As a reminder, we will be lighting the luminaries at dusk on Christmas Eve, December 24th. Rain-date is Christmas Day eve, Dec 25th.
If the city hasn't made another round to picked up remaining leaves prior to our date - then we'll need to be careful.)
In addition to the luminaries, we'll also be distributing the holiday decorating contest ballots and end-of-year HOA surveys. Completed ballots will be collected at the box in front of the Davenport household (1816 Lodestar Dr). Thanks to Lauren Davenport for volunteering to help us this year!
OCT 28, 2001 - At-Large Candidate Forum
ATTENTION CROSSWINDS RESIDENTS -
See the notice below from our Greystone neighbors.
The four at-large city council candidates (Mort Congleton, Janet Cowell, Neal Hunt and Venita Peyton) will be participating in a non-partisan run-off forum/debate this coming Thursday evening, November 1, at the Leadmine Elementary School Media Center, 7:30 to 9:00 pm.
A great opportunity to hear directly from the candidates and voice your concerns. Your attendance is welcome.
If you have questions, please contact Greystone's Ellen Kinsinger 919-783-1010.
OCT 7, 2001 - 2002 Luminaries and HOA Dues - Block Captain Instructions
Crosswinds' Block Captains -
Below are instructions for collecting and submitting the 2002 dues and luminary orders. Each of you should have received an information packet from Ken Davenport today (Sunday, Oct 7). The packet contains a copy of the INTRUCTIONS below and the name and address of your respective homeowners on your block. Use this sheet to record actual orders and receipts from your block. Make collections by Nov 16th. RETURN the completed form with all dues and luminary monies by Dec 1.
We're getting the collection process started early this year in order to allow everyone extra time to meet the deadlines. As of this writing, you will have at least six (6) weeks to complete dues collection and to return the completed form. If you have questions or need help in any way - please feel free to give any of us a call.
Thanks again to Ken Davenport for compiling and distributing this year's instructions and block roster information packets.
And THANKS in advance to the Block Captains for your continued commitment of time and energy to the Crosswinds community!!!
(ALSO: Be sure to remind your neighbors about the upcoming Halloween Parade at Inlet Place cul-de-sac on Wed, Oct 31 at 5pm.)
IMPORTANT DATES:
* >> 2002 Luminaries & Dues Collection are DUE NOVEMBER 16th FROM THE HOMEOWNERS.
* >> ALL BLOCK MONIES DUE INTO HOA BY DECEMBER 1st.
=========== * I * N * S * T * R * U * C * T * I * O * N * S * ==================
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This year's HOA dues and Luminary fees will be collected beginning November 1st. (But you may start earlier as your schedule permits.)
The DUES AND LUMINARY DEADLINE collection from the homeowner is November 16th.
Each Block Roster contains the current directory information to be used for luminary ordering and dues collection. The information for the homeowner is current as of the date printed on the bottom of the sheet.
Use this time as an opportunity to record any changes (including moves out of Crosswinds) or, inform the homeowners they can e-mail updates to directoryupdates@altavista.com
The cost of luminaries is $3.00 per dozen. The maximum cost to a homeowner for the luminaries is $9.00. Additional sets are available to the homeowner at no additional cost. Dues are $15.00.
Please collect the luminary monies and dues, cash - or check (one check for both dues and luminaries is OK), payable to Crosswinds HOA. Be sure to use the address information sheets to tabulate which homeowners have paid and in what amounts. Please drop off these payments along with one copy of the information sheet to any of the Crosswinds HOA officers listed below BEFORE DECEMBER 1st (or call one of the officers to schedule a pick-up of the monies and information).
President RJ Bornhofen 8300 Seagate Dr 870-0111
Vice President John Oldham 8616 Seagate Dr 848-1745
Directory Carolyn Davenport 1816 Lodestar Drive 848-8751
Please bring any remaining payments to the luminary pick-up site on December 16th when you pick up your blocks luminaries. However, please do not wait until December 16th to submit all of your data and monies. We need the funds early to order supplies in the appropriate amounts.
Payments made after December 16th should be given to the treasurer, Brooks Malone, (8613 Windjammer Drive) directly.
Our own HOA VP John Oldham's cul-de-sac @ 8616 Seagate Drive will be the site of this year's luminary assembly operation. All interested are welcome to meet on Saturday morning, December 16th to lend a helping hand and have some fun. Contact John @ 848-1745 or oldham@us.ibm.com with questions about the luminary assembly.
We'll be lighting the luminaries at dusk on Christmas Eve, December 24th. (Rain date is Christmas Day, Dec 25th). These are special 12-hour candles and should burn all evening.
THANK YOU for your continued dedication to the Crosswinds Homeowners Association.
SEPT 29, 2001 5:50 PM
- Meeting Minutes from Sept 24, 2001
Dear Crosswinds Block Captains & Home Owners . . .
Subject: Crosswinds Neighborhood - Fall HOA Meeting Minutes
Below are the highlights from our Homeowners meeting held Monday, Sept. 24th @ Border's Bookstore. A great turnout; lots of information.
1. HALLOWEEN PARADE - WED, OCT 31 @ INLET PLACE CUL-DE-SAC
Mark Your Calendars: This year's Neighborhood Halloween Contest will be held at 5pm on Wednesday, October 31st at the Inlet Place Cul-de-sac off Harbor Drive between Bridgeport and Seagate. Hot-dogs, chips and drinks will be served. Please bring a dessert to share. Our volunteer coordinators are: Dana Judy 847-3146, Ann Brooks 870-7445, and Virginia Parker 846-1928.
2. LUMINARIES AND HOMEOWNERS DUES
Mark Your Calendars: This year's HOA dues and Luminary fees will be collected beginning November 1st. The DUES AND LUMINARY DEADLINE is NOVEMBER 15th. Your annual HOA dues are $15. Luminaries are $3 per set of 12 bags ($9 maximum - extra sets beyond the first three are available at no charge). Block captains will be the collector point for your dues and luminary monies. Homeowners may combine both payments on a single check made out to the Crosswinds Homeowners Association.
We'll be lighting the luminaries at dusk on Christmas Eve, December 24th. (Rain-date is Christmas Day, Dec 25th). These are special 12-hour candles and should burn all evening. Our own HOA VP John Oldham's cul-de-sac @ 8616 Seagate Drive will be the site of this year's luminary assembly operation. All interested are welcome to meet on Saturday morning, December 16th to lend a helping hand and have some fun. Contact John @ 848-1745 or oldham@us.ibm.com with questions.
(Block Captains: You will receive a block-roster check-off list and collection instructions before November 1st.)
3. HOA VOLUNTEERS WANTED
We especially want to thank all of our present, past and returning volunteers. Their generosity is greatly appreciated. As you may know, the Crosswinds Homeowners Association is a volunteer organization. The Board and block captains comprise nearly 30 homeowners. Therefore, there are always opportunities to get involved. We are presently seeking to identify future volunteers for the following open positions. For more information, please inquire with the individual listed.
* HOA Secretary - contact Heather Choplin (676-1188 choplin@earthlink.net)
* Canoga Place Block Captain - contact Donna Rhyne (676-0910 djfrnc@aol.com)
* HOA Treasurer - contact Brooks Malone (845-2447 rbmalone@hpgcpas.com)
4. NEIGHBORHOOD COMMUNITY WATCH PROGRAM
The topic of a Neighborhood Community Watch program came up again. This is a crime prevention program sponsored by the Raleigh City Police Department's Special Operations Division. There are approximately 150 Community Watch Programs in the various neighborhoods throughout the city.
One of our homeowners, Noble Phelps-Breeden, has volunteered to investigate the potential for Crosswinds to team-up with the Greystone and Stonehenge communities. Such an alignment would boost the number of participants required to launch the program. We understand that the program requires a significant participation rate. Anyone else interested, may contact Noble @ 846-6839. We have already contacted both the Stonehenge and Greystone communities and hope to have some progress to report at our next meeting.
5. STRICKLAND ROAD - CROSWINDS ENTRY SIGN
We briefly discussed the widening of Strickland and the impact on our neighborhood sign there. Any effort on our part to move and/or replace the existing sign is dependent on the widening of Strickland road. At present, the City of Raleigh is in a holding pattern regarding that project. We'll keep our eye on it and be ready to react as plans progress.
6. CITY OF RALEIGH - MATCHING GRANT PROGRAM
Reminder, the City of Raleigh is accepting applications for their Neighborhood Improvement Matching Grant Program. The program provides qualifying Raleigh neighborhoods with matching monetary grants of up to $5,000 for neighborhood cleanup and beautification projects. The application deadline is the first Friday of each month. For more information, please contact the City of Raleigh Community Services Department at 831-6100. City of Raleigh website: http://www.raleigh-nc.org/
7. TRAFFIC PATTERNS, STOP SIGNS & SIDEWALKS
More questions came up regarding Crosswinds' potential plans for sidewalks, stop-signs, traffic patterns, and general street safety. Fellow homeowner, John Keely alerted us to a service which the DOT provides at no charge to neighborhoods. John volunteered to request a full traffic-pattern analysis of the Crosswinds subdivision which will include possible recommendations for additional stop signs, speed bumps, street paint, crosswalks, street lights, etc. Other neighbors revealed having good success with similar issues and concerns by contacting the city directly. We look forward to the results of the DOT survey. Thank you John.
8. CITY OF RALIEGH - NEIGHBORHOOD RESOURCES
Many of the questions that surface during the Crosswinds HOA meetings pertain to city planning, regulations, crime prevention, etc. The City of Raleigh offers several neighborhood-oriented services and has staff available to discuss specific concerns with you. Whatever the issues facing a neighborhood, residents should feel free to contact the Planning Department at 890-3125, the Community Services Department at 831-6100, or the Police Department neighborhood outreach office at 831-6511. Questions about roads should be directed to the City's Transportation Department at 890-3430.
http://www.raleigh-nc.org/planning/cp/neighborhoods3.htm
9. CROSSWINDS NEIGHBORHOOD DIRECTORIES
The updated 2001 Crosswinds Directories are in circulation. If you need a copy or have updates, please contact your block captain and/or send an e-mail to: directoryupdates@altavista.com Changes are collected and prepared for the next revision. This is a great resource and every Crosswinds homeowner should have one.
10. NEWSLETTER CONTRIBUTIONS
If you have noteworthy news items of general interest to the Crosswinds community, please forward them to our Secretary Heather Choplin @ 676-1188 or choplin@earthlink.net Appropriate items will be included on a space available basis.
11. END-OF-YEAR HOA SURVEY
What do you want your HOA to be? Plans are still on for a year-end informational survey to gauge the needs of our Crosswinds homeowners. We'll be looking for your ideas and suggestions on how the Homeowners Association can best serve the needs of ALL of our residents. Look for the survey toward the end of the calendar year. The feedback we receive from you will set the agenda for next year.
12. HOA MEETING DOOR PRIZE
Congratulations go out to our door prize winners. We raffled off two cases of beer left-over from our summer pool party.
The lucky winners were drawn at random: 1. Evelyn Bruno on Bridgeport and 2. RJ Bornhofen on Seagate.
SEPT 20, 2001 - NEXT HOME OWNERS' MEETING
Dear Crosswinds Block Captains & Home Owners . . .
1. NEXT HOME OWNERS' MEETING - MONDAY, SEPT 24 - 6:45 PM @ BORDERS
Our next Crosswinds Homeowners' meeting is scheduled for this Monday evening, September 24th. Location: Borders Bookstore (coffee shop area) on the corner of Six Forks and Strickland at 6:45pm. The primary focus of the meeting will be a review of committee actions from the prior meeting, remaining chair assignments, Fall-Winter calendar planning and any new business. Our three main activities coming up are: Halloween Party, Luminaries, and Holiday Home Decorating Contest. If you are interested in helping, please contact your Block Captain. Hope to see you at the meeting!
2. POOL PARTY THANK-YOUs
Thanks again to all those who made it out to our Summer Pool Party this year. A great time was had by all at the Greystone Swim Club. A big thanks to our event chair Carolyn Davenport and all the event organizers including: Lori Larimer, Helen McFarlane, Lisa Litz, Mary Grace Sellers, and Heather Choplin. And we can't forget to thank the cooks & all the people who brought their favorite dishes to share. Looking forward to a repeat next year!
3. CITY OF RALEIGH - MATCHING GRANT WORKSHOP - THUR, SEPT 27 6:30PM
For those interested, the City of Raleigh will be hosting an informational workshop for their Neighborhood Improvement Matching Grant Program. The workshop will be held from 6:30-8pm next Thursday, Sept. 27th at the Richard B. Harrison Library located at 1313 New Bern Avenue. The program provides qualifying Raleigh neighborhoods with matching monetary grants of up to $5,000 for neighborhood cleanup and beautification projects. The application deadline is the first Friday of each month. For estimating purposes, one hour of volunteer labor equals about $15. For more information, please contact the City of Raleigh Community Services Department at 831-6100.
City of Raleigh website: http://www.raleigh-nc.org/
4. SAFTEY NOTICE - LOCK UP YOUR FIREARMS
One of our neighbors has confirmed that their veterinary doctor recently discovered a bullet wound in their cat. The vet "...was sure the cat was shot with a 22 or an air-powered rifle." The police have already been contacted and are aware of this incident, which occurred in early Sept. Therefore, we're being asked to remind individuals who own guns or rifles to check their safety as well as the ammunition and lock up their firearms. Encourage those with firearms to speak with children and spouses about this situation. Under no circumstances should individuals be using firearms in our neighborhood or within the City Limits. Our houses are much to close and there are a great number of children running around. The cat involved does not roam too far from its home, which means this incident happened somewhere in Crosswinds or Stonehenge. We are informing the Stonehenge HOA of the situation also. If you witness any criminal activity - please call the Raleigh police department immediately.
AUG 29, 2001 - Raleigh Neighborhood Improvement Matching Grant Program
Crosswinds HOA & Homeowners -
Please refer to the remainder of this e-mail which explains a city-sponsored
opportunity to receive monetary supplements for neighborhood improvements.
I read about this program in the N&O last week (8/23) and contacted the
sponsoring office via e-mail for more details. They'll provide matching
grants of up to $5,000 for neighborhood cleanup and beautification projects.
For estimating purposes, one hour of volunteer labor equals about $15.
It appears there may be an opportunity for Crosswinds to leverage this
program for an as-yet undetermined need.
Please reply back with your ideas & suggestions. If you're passionate about
a particular activity, feel free to help us make the request and carry it
forward.
Our next HOA meeting is scheduled for Monday, Sept 24. Following that, if
there were enough interest and agreement, we could submit an application for
October consideration. See what you think.
----- Original Message -----
From: kira Stewart <stewartk@raleigh-nc.org>
Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2001 8:40 AM
Subject: RE: Neighborhood Improvement Matching Grant - Crosswinds HOA
>
> I have attached a copy of a flyer my office has been using to get
> information out in the community about our Matching Grant program. It
> provides the same basic information as the N&O article and more. The
> information in the flyer should give you a better sense of some of the
> specifics of the program.
>
> Applications are being accepted the first Friday of each month through the
> end of this calendar year; thus, there are several opportunities for your
> neighborhood to apply. I also intend to offer a workshop on how to
complete
> the application sometime towards the end of September, and would be happy
to
> provide you the specifics on when the workshop will be as soon as I have
> them, in case you or anyone in your neighborhood would be interested in
> attending.
>
> >From what you've described, it sounds as if the projects your
neighborhood
> has in mind would certainly be eligible. If you would like me to go ahead
> and send you an application, please let me know. If you would like to
wait
> until your neighborhood has a clearer idea of what they would like to do,
> then feel free to contact me whenever you would like the application sent.
>
> Please do not hesitate to contact me with any further questions.
>
> Kira Stewart, Community Specialist
> COR Community Services Department
> (919) 831-6136 Phone
> (919) 831-6123 Fax
> stewartk@raleigh-nc.org
JULY 11, 2001 -
Crosswinds Summer 2001 Newsletter
SUMMER POOL PARTY
Please mark your calendars for Saturday, August 18th, from 7:00-10:30pm. Carolyn Davenport is our Summer Party Chair and has already reserved the Greystone pool complex and a DJ for this year's summer party. Thanks again to Carolyn for coordinating this popular event. If you're available to provide assistance (set up, grilling or clean up), please contact Carolyn directly at 848-8751 or via e-mail at davenport_ken@emc.com
Please let your block captain know how many of your family members will be attending. Block captains will need to get their counts in to Carolyn between August 6th - 10th. Families whose last names start with A-L are asked to bring a side dish. Families whose last names start with M-Z are asked to bring a dessert. We had a record turnout last year and are looking forward to seeing as many of our neighbors there this year. Your annual HOA dues go toward funding this event so plan to take advantage of the food, fun and activities.
NEXT HOA MEETING
We've tentatively scheduled Monday night, September 24th for our next Crosswinds HOA meeting. Same place & time as before: Borders bookstore on the corner of Six Forks and Strickland again at 6:45pm. The primary focus of the meeting will be a review of committee actions from the prior meeting, remaining chair assignments, as well as fall/winter calendar planning. We'll again post reminder signs throughout the neighborhood just before the meeting date. Hope to see you there.
DIRECTORY
Everyone should have received their updated 2001 Crosswinds Directory. These were distributed via the block captains and make a great reference. Please verify your information and send any updates via e-mail to directoryupdates@altavista.com Your changes will be collected and incorporated into the next edition. Thank you to our Directory Coordinator, Ken Davenport, for producing another welcomed revision. (And thanks to the whole Davenport clan for their mass production efforts, as we understand it was a family assembly line that collated and stapled the final product, saving the HOA some money!)
SEWER EASEMENT CLEARING ALONG LEADMINE CREEK
Recently, a City of Raleigh, Public Utilities Department subcontractor, cleared a 20' easement around the sewer lines running along the creek between Crosswinds and Vestavia Woods from Bridgeport down to Sawmill. According to the inspectors on the scene, this regularly scheduled maintenance is intended to prevent root-damage from neighboring trees. Similar projects have occurred around the Greystone Lakes and surrounding areas. For additional information, please contact the Public Utilities Director, Dale Crisp, at 919-890-3400. Other points of contact include: Ricky Temple, Engineering Inspector - Office: 919-250-2745 or Mobile: 919-795-1658. Jack Moyer, Assistant Public Utilities Director. Inspection Supervisor Curtis Stevens. His assistant is Doug Hale.
VANDALIZED MAILBOXES
We received information on several vandalized mailboxes within the Crosswinds community along Windjammer, Lodestar, Hamrick, etc. As with all acts of random vandalism, the best advice is to call the police and report the incident. Vandalized homeowners should file their own police report. It may not solve these particular incidents but will go a long way toward building up a case history and stepping up future police patrols in the area.
ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD
Our Crosswinds covenants are listed in the back of the new directory. These covenants provide guidelines for homeowners and should be read by all Crosswinds residents. Any building improvements or additions to a Crosswinds property should be examined and approved by an architectural review board prior to building. If anyone is interested in being on this board, please let
us know.
A MESSAGE FOR DOG OWNERS
We've been asked to remind pet owners of the following Raleigh City ordinance: "Sec. 12-3011. (b) It shall be unlawful for any person owning, harboring, keeping, or in charge of any dog to fail to remove feces deposited by the dog on any street, sidewalk, park or other publicly owned area. (c) It shall be unlawful for any person owning, harboring, keeping, or in charge of any dog to fail to remove feces deposited by the dog on any private property unless the owner of the property has given permission allowing such use of the property." Pet owners should keep this in mind when walking your dog. It's your responsibility as a good neighbor. Besides, leaving your pet's treasures behind is unhealthy and unsavory. And thanks to those pet owners who are already cleaning up!
WHAT DO YOU WANT YOUR HOA TO BE?
We're planning to do a year-end informational survey to gauge the needs of the Crosswinds residents. We are looking for your ideas and suggestions on how the Homeowners Association can best serve those needs. We look forward to hearing from you!
JUNE
2, 2001 - Vandalism reports - Safety Bulletin
Crosswinds Community Homeowners -
We received information on several vandalized mailboxes within the Crosswinds community last week along Windjammer, Loadstar, Hamrick, etc. As with all acts of random vandalism, the best advice is to call the police and report the incident. Every vandalized homeowner should file their own police report. It may not solve these particular incidents but will go a long way toward building up a case history and stepping up future police patrols in the area, etc.
MAY 24, 2001 - Looking for Summer Party Organizers & Volunteers
Greetings Crosswinds Homeowners -
We're getting mighty close to summer hours. And we're aggressively looking for someone to help us organize this year's popular summer party event.
We need someone to pull the troops together and get things moving. We've already identified at least a dozen volunteers, but need a 'chair' to orchestrate things.
At least four (4) things ought to make this year's Chair's task easier: 1. Our directory coordinators (Ken & Carolyn Davenport) have already produced a complete 'check-off' list of the homeowners which can easily be used to track event RSVPs, etc, 2. Lots of helpers have already volunteered - and more continue to surface, 3. Use e-mail to coordinate details, and 4. Several folks have already been through this before and are anxious to share their knowledge.
So - please do consider helping us out. We'll sing your praises and shower you with gifts. (at least the first part anyway)
Please reply and we'll get you in touch with one another. The more - the merrier!
The first order of business will be to set a date, schedule a facility and send out the event info in the next Crosswinds HOA newsletter.
(Note: If you've missed this summer event it in the past, you may not have to this year. Help us set the date.)
Give any of us a call if you have any questions or know someone else who might be interested. We'll gladly accept and follow-up on nominations too. :-)
APR 1, 2001 -
Crosswinds HOA Meeting Minutes from 3/26/01
Crosswinds Block Captains & Home Owners -
We had a great turnout and discussion for our first HOA meeting of 2001. Thanks again to all those who were able to make it. With the mix of new comers and veterans in attendance, we had an excellent opportunity to draw on experiences and learn from each other. And thanks to Borders Bookstore for providing just the right setting for some good dialog. And Congratulations to homeowner David Grimes who won the $30 gift-card drawing.
Many thanks to our Treasurer, Brooks Malone, for putting our HOA financial information into QuickBooks and producing both our Income statement and Balance sheet for 2001 year-to-date. All luminary fees and dues have been deposited and your checks should have cleared. If you still have a check outstanding, please give Brooks a call to see if it was included with the latest deposits.
Thanks to our Secretary, Heather Choplin, for acquiring and distributing this year’s holiday lights contest award winners. These were announced at our meeting and will be communicated to all 350+ residents in our upcoming newsletter along with other neighborhood news. If you have a story to contribute, please contact Heather directly. And thanks in advance to Heather for our Spring Newsletter.
Thanks to VP & BC John Oldham who has volunteered his cul-de-sac to handle the 2001 Luminaries. This is one of our larger logistical endeavors. And thanks again to Jim & Helen McFarlane for coordinating the Luminaries the last two years in a row. (Per Helen: be advised there are some leftover supplies we can re-use when the time comes.)
March 2001 HOA Meeting Highlights:
===============================
* Crosswinds Directory - All information updates were due to coordinator Ken Davenport by the April 1 deadline. All changes collected at the meeting have been submitted. New directories will be printed and distributed over the coming weeks.
* Strickland Sign - We discussed the widening of Strickland and the impact on our neighborhood sign there. We currently have approximately $12K restricted cash in the building fund and most of it allocated toward the sign improvements when we’re ready. Signs are expensive and can range from $15K-$20K depending upon the size and design. The HOA has been saving a portion of the dues for many years in preparation for this. The Strickland boundary definitions by the city are still not fully known, and may not be resolved for some time. With the discussion surrounding a community watch/crime prevention program for the neighborhood, it was suggested that in lieu of a single large sign on Strickland, perhaps we might consider smaller signs at each of our entrances. Several signs would re-enforce the name and 'Neighborhood Watch' programs as a preventive deterrent to speeders and criminal activity, etc. Next step is to gather rough estimates and preliminary designs.
* Budget Review - Income statement and balance sheet were circulated. 2001 operating budget is approximately $2,000 which covers summer party, holiday light awards and other events. Luminaries are paid for separately and not covered by yearly dues. Each planned activity has a ballpark budget and we need to do our best to stay within that amount.
* Crime Prevention/Neighborhood Watch - During open forum, there was significant interest in discussions surrounding neighborhood crime prevention and safety awareness. We talked about the possibility of inviting a Raleigh police officer to the next meeting. There were several concerns expressed about speeding vehicles and other incidents of random vandalism. General consensus was that we should try to raise awareness and encourage all to be mindful and respect others property, etc. It was suggested that we could create an e-mail distribution list or phone-tree dedicated to neighborhood security bulletins and safety alerts. More to follow on this - stay tuned.
* Event Volunteers - We collected names of people interested in assisting with the following events and/or activities. Separate e-mails will be distributed shortly to initiate the following activities: Summer pool party; Halloween parade; Yard of the Month; 4th of July parade; Luminaries; Book club; Block captain recruitment; Strickland sign; Directory publishing; Crosswinds HOA community website; Adopt-a-Stream cleanup; Dinner club; Newsletter reporter; Neighborhood watch program; Welcome baskets for new neighbors; Sidewalks extension along Bridgeport; Adult dance party w/ music & cash bar; Baby sitting co-op. If you’d like to participate or lend your experience, please reply to this e-mail with your area of interest and we’ll be sure to include you.
* Neighborhood Diversity - Those who attended the meeting completed a short survey as their entry for the door prize. It’s worth noting that Crosswinds has both new and not-so-new residents. Our survey results revealed that our newest neighbor joined us within the last year. No surprises there. On the other hand, we also have someone who’s been a homeowner in Crosswinds for 20 years! Of those who completed a survey, the average duration for a Crosswinds homeowner appears to be 8 years. 40% of attendees were Block Captains. For 25% of the attendees, this was their first Crosswinds HOA meeting! (Note: These results most likely not an accurate reflection of the neighborhood as a whole - but rather indicate the makeup of those who attended the meeting.)
As always, if you have questions or suggestions - please feel free to give us a call. Look forward to seeing you at our next meeting in June. (date, place and time TBA)
MAR 18, 2001 - Crosswinds Directory Updates DEADLINE - DUE April 1
Crosswinds' Block Captains & Residents -
Our Crosswinds Directory Coordinators, Ken & Carolyn Davenport, want to remind you that April 1st is the FINAL DEADLINE for any remaining changes or updates to the information you'd like to appear in the next revision. The final master copy will be sent to the printers and subsequently distributed the second & third weeks of April. If you have new neighbors, phone numbers, changing block captain info, etc - please submit this info to the Davenports as soon as possible.
You can send your changes in via e-mail, US mail, or drop off in person - DUE BY APRIL 1. We'll also be accepting submissions at the HOA meeting on Monday, March 26 @ Borders Bookstore (Six Forks & Strickland) 6:45 pm.
FEB 8, 2001 - NEXT Crosswinds HOA Meeting
Crosswinds Block Captains & Home Owners -
Our first 2001 HOA meeting is scheduled for Monday, March 26, 6:45-7:45pm at Borders Bookstore (Strickland & Six-Forks). Please mark your calendars and plan to attend.
**BONUS: To encourage attendance, we'll be drawing for a $30 Border's Gift Card as a door prize. One lucky winner will have some extra spending money $$$ after the meeting! And if you bring a neighbor with you, we'll allow you to enter the drawing twice! You must be present to win. Maximum of 2 entries per household. Bringing your spouse does not qualify for an extra entry. Extra neighbors may only be counted once. Adults only.
The meeting will last approximately one hour and we'll follow the regular agenda. We'll be focusing on the 2001 budget and social calendar, as well as the community volunteer efforts. These include: Summer pool party, Easter egg hunt, Halloween parade, Yard of the Month, 4th of July parade, Book club, Entrance Sign off Strickland, Greenway Project, Crosswinds Social Golf League, Sponsored Neighborhood-Night-Out for dinner at Sawmill Tap Room - 10%-off total bill, Crosswinds Auto Plate for front of car, and more.
In a related note, regarding neighborhood community websites, Ann Brooks mentioned the Greystone website as a good example. Check it out: http://www.greystonevillage.org It's well done and has some very good information available. We've spoken to their webmaster, and she's willing to help us with our site, if we can find the right volunteer. (I've appended her e-mail below.)
Finally, if you have contributions or reminders for the next newsletter - please submit these to our Secretary, Heather Choplin: choplin@earthlink.net
As always, if you have questions or suggestions - please feel free to give us a call. Look forward to seeing you at the meeting in March.
JAN 13, 2001 - Crosswinds HOA Officers, Block Captains & Volunteers . . .
Dear Crosswinds HOA Officers, Block Captains & Volunteers . . .
Happy New Year!
Just wanted to get a quick e-mail out to you to introduce the new Crosswinds
HOA officers and begin a e-mail communications through this distribution
list.
1. INTRODUCTIONS - NEW OFFICERS
During the annual Luminary preparations, just before the holidays, we
elected two new officers:
* RJ Bornhofen (8300 Seagate Dr - 870-0111) - President
* John Oldham (8616 Seagate Dr - 848-1745) - Vice President
* Brooks Malone recently assumed Treasurer duties (8613 Windjammer -
845-2447)
The rest of the officers remain the same.
There may be some new block captains that I'm yet unaware of. We'll
identify and communicate these changes accordingly.
2. E-MAIL RULES
Thanks again to everyone for providing their e-mail addresses and allowing
us to communicate in this fashion. For a lot of us, this is a new
communication vehicle, yet we need to RESPECT each other's privacy and
strictly limit this distribution list to Crosswinds Home Owners related
business ONLY. (i.e. soliciting and other spam to the group at large is not
appropriate and will not be tolerated.)
Feel free to forward this e-mail to other Crosswinds homeowners who were
accidentally left off, or may be interested.
This e-mail distribution list is primarily for officers and block captains
and will supplement the regular newsletters, directories, etc. At the same
time, e-mail does not replace a good old-fashioned phone call either, but
will act to facilitate broader communication in shorter time.
Bottom line: Use your best judgment when communicating by e-mail to the
group at large.
3. EVENT CALENDAR
A significant portion of the Crosswinds HOA budget and related activities
pertain primarily to the annual social events. These include the end of
Summer pool party, Easter egg hunt, Halloween parade, Yard of the Month, 4th
of July parade, Book club? other?
Our Treasurer, Brooks Malone, is preparing a high-level budget and we'd like
to get as many of these activities identified and tentatively scheduled as
early as possible.
If you, or someone you know is interested in coordinating (or helping to
coordinate) any of these, please encourage them to step forward and contact
any of us. We love volunteers! Most (if not all) of the events the
neighborhood hosts today, started because one person took the initiative and
made it happen. You may know those people? And most of you already are!!
:-)
4. QUARTERLY HOME-OWNERS MEETING
Keeping with tradition, we'll continue to conduct face-to-face HOA meetings
approximately once per quarter. Therefore, we'll be looking to get together
sometime in late February/March/early April timeframe. More details on this
shortly.
5. DIRECTORY UPDATES
I'm not sure of the exact deadline for submissions, but the Davenports
(848-8751)are collecting changes and preparing the next Crosswinds Phone and
Info Directory. Block Captains should continue to funnel these updates
directly to Ken and Carolyn. The Directory is a FABULOUS resource - Thanks
Ken & Carolyn!
6. INITIATIVES & VOLUNTEERS
In the just the last few weeks, with the new year approaching, several of
our neighbors have surfaced a variety of items for the homeowners to
consider. Some new. Some old. Our goal should be to get as many of these
ideas/suggestions on the table and then seek to pursue the top few as time
and budget allow.
Here are just a few, for example:
* Entrance Sign off Strickland - This one's been on the books for some
time. We're waiting for the city to widen Strickland and draw the boundary
lines. One of the reasons we raised the annual dues was to boost the funds
available for a nice entry sign, similar to the other bricked entries along
parts of Strickland.
* Greenway Project - At one point, Crosswinds had arranged to adopt the
stream that runs from Strickland down between us and Emerald Chase, crosses
under Bridgeport,
runs between us and Vestavia Woods, crosses under Sawmill and goes into the
lake.
We are supposed to walk it twice a year and do a cleanup once or twice. It
would be great if we could get a Boy Scout troop or such to help. Walking
this in the winter when there are fewer brambles is ideal. It's a nice walk
and could potentially make a neighborhood greenway.
* Crosswinds HOA Website - Another idea which has come up, is for Crosswinds
to establish a compelling webpage on the internet. Other communities have
done this with varying success. Below are listed some prior attempts at
establishing an online presence for the Crosswinds community. Issues of
privacy and usefulness may require further analysis, but it's an idea whose
time has come.
Existing Crosswinds Sites: (I have the id & password for these if you're
interested.):
+ http://www.ncneighbors.com/604/
+ www.onlineneighborhoods.com
http://www.onlineneighborhoods.com/servlet/on_ProcServ/DBPAGE=cge&GID=000300
00000962156031234087
For comparison purposes, click on the URL below to reach the Stonehenge
website, where they've been known to post swim club score and sports team
standings, etc: http://www.stonehengeliving.com/
For any of these ideas to get off the ground, it's especially important that
we have volunteers to carry these initiatives forward through the process.
So, please ask around and encourage your neighbors to volunteer. Many of
you have volunteered in the past, but wouldn't mind passing the torch.
Please identify those items and we'll see what we can do to get some new
volunteers or get you some help. The more awareness we create, the larger
the pool of possible volunteers becomes.
7. NEXT STEPS:
In the coming weeks, we hope to set a date & place for our next face-to-face
meeting, plan the social calendar for the year, prepare the budget, raise
the awareness level, identify volunteers, and initiate sub-teams as
appropriate.
That's about it for now. Please forward this e-mail to your Crosswinds
neighbors, as you feel appropriate. If you've received this e-mail
indirectly from your neighbor and wish to be added to the distribution list
for future mailings, please send a reply to rjborn1@mindspring.com with your
e-mail address. We'll include you on future mailings.
Feel free to contact John or myself directly with questions/suggestions,
etc. Thanks again in advance to all the existing & past HOA officers, block
captains and other volunteers for helping us ramp up and learn the ropes.
And finally, we look forward to serving the needs of the Crosswinds HOA as
best we can.