Bentwood Farms - Mallard Pond Homeowners Association

Summer 2004

Nov 01, 2004

Planning for a Safe Summer
Much time is devoted to planning for children?’s summer activities, day care, family vacations, summer projects and get-to-gethers with family and friends. Planning must also become a priority when it comes to summer safety.
First and foremost, please Slow Down! There are more and more children playing in yards, driveways or riding their bikes, scooters or skate boards on our neighborhood streets. And, they can come out of nowhere. They?’re depending on us to be alert.
With ongoing growth in adjacent neighborhoods and the continued presence of construction traffic, there is always the danger of thefts and break-ins. This is especially worrisome with so many neighbors on vacation during the summer. Here are a few tips:
?· Don?’t leave anything of value in plain sight in your car. And, always keep your car locked, even in your own driveway.
?· Keep your house locked at all times. Even if you are in the back yard, close the garage and lock the front door.
?· If your neighbor?’s house is vacant or they are on vacation, make the extra effort to pick up the newspapers and plastic bag advertising materials in their yard so that attention isn?’t drawn to an empty house or, to your lovely house next door.
?· If you go away, even if you stop the paper and the mail, ask your neighbor to pick up the plastic bag advertising material and dispose of it for you.
?· Call the Sheriff?’s Department at 1-800-808-5223 and ask that they check your house while you are away on vacation. Be sure to let them know if lights will be left on inside the house and in what rooms and who will have a key to the house and their telephone number.
?· Watch for strangers and cars or trucks that don?’t appear to have a legitimate reason to be in the neighborhood; especially strangers who are loitering, slowly cruising in cars or just sitting in parked cars. Get descriptions and license plate numbers and call the Sheriff. If you feel that there is an immediate threat, call 9-1-1. Otherwise, call 1-800-808-5223.
Take charge of your children?’s safety, your neighbor?’s safety, your own well-being and that of your entire community. Ask the person: ?“May I help you??” You may prevent a crime or, better yet, you may impress a new neighbor with your kindness.
Keep informed and up to date regarding sexual predators living in the Pickerington and Violet Township areas and talk freely with your children on the threat of sex offenders. Log on to www.sheriff.fairfield.oh.us and click on: ?“Registered Sex Offenders.?” Click on the ?“Click Here?” call out on the top of the next page for a complete list of registered sex offenders in Fairfield County by name and address with photographs.


Green Thumb?
The Pickerington Garden Club meets every third Wednesday at 1:00 pm at the Pickerington Public Library, 201 Opportunity Way, across from Pickerington Central High School. Programs and any changes in meeting day or time are announced in the Columbus Dispatch and three local area newspapers. Guests and new members are invited. For more information, call Beverly Zurhorst at 864-6012.


The Bentwood Farms/Mallard Pond
Homeowner?’s Association
P.O. Box 609
Pickerington, OH 43147




Notes from the President
By Jim McGrath
The kids are out of school; have yours told you they are bored yet? Hopefully not. With the warm weather, we have noticed an increase in the use of the new motorized scooters, which are being driven on the streets. Please remind your children, if they have one of these, (or any scooter, bicycle, skateboard, etc) that they should try to stay on the sidewalks to keep out of traffic. I?’ve had a few adults complain that there are many kids riding unsafely on the streets. It has also been brought to our attention by the Fairfield County Sheriff?’s Department that it is a traffic violation to ride these scooters on public streets.
I was told that we are going to be filing liens on 27 houses for unpaid dues from this year. It saddens me that this money will have to be spent, and that the homeowners will have to pay quite a bit extra to get the liens removed before they can sell or refinance their homes. Our annual dues (at $80) are very reasonable given all the common land and maintenance that needs to be done. If we were to go to a paid management company, it has been estimated that our dues would at least double, and potentially triple. Given that there are very few of us that volunteer our time, and that there is always work needed to be done, that option has been considered. We have repeatedly asked for help, and very little ever gets offered. To those that have helped in the past, we do appreciate it and ask that you continue to
help whenever possible. We have to charge fees to maintain the neighborhood, which has seen the property values increase at a pretty good rate over the last 10 years. Let?’s just say, it has probably been one of the better investments that most homeowners have made over that time period.
One item that everyone can do to help out is to pick up trash that they see on the ground. We pay our lawn care service to pick up the trash in the common areas, and it gets very expensive. If everyone just helps a little, it would go a long way towards keeping our neighborhood looking nice. The board wishes you a safe and happy summertime, please be careful in your travels, and remind the kids to watch for cars while outside playing.


Architectural Control Committee
By Craig Turner
The Architectural Control Committee (ACC) would like to remind all homeowners that all outside projects such as fences, porches/patios, landscaping, re-roofing/siding, pools, etc. need to first be submitted and approved by the ACC.
The ACC requires the following items to be submitted: 1) A copy of your plot plan that shows where the work is located at on your property 2) A cover letter that gives a brief description of the work along with your name and address 3) Copies of plans/prints if available, and any product data that is applicable for the type of material and/or color that will be used. Please note that submissions will be kept for our records.
A letter of approval or disapproval will be delivered to the resident as soon as each ACC member reviews the submission and signs the letter. The ACC?’s goal is to have a seven-day turn around for review on project submissions, but please keep in mind that we do have up to 30 days per the deed restrictions. Please allow for this time when scheduling your project start date.
Your Trustees and ACC members would like to thank you in advance for following these requirements and being mindful of the guidelines and regulations contained in our community?’s deed restrictions.


Tricks of Traveling with Children
?· Have your children help you with trip planning.
?· Take a 10-minute runaround break every couple of hours to release pent up energy.
?· Pack plenty of healthy snacks and bottled water.
?· Surprise them in route with new games, books.
?· Play license plate alphabet and landmark games.
?· Let the children pack their own backpack or carry bag with the stuff they really want.
?· When traveling by air, be sure to get window seats for the children. Book one row behind the other when there is more than one child. That way, everyone gets a window seat.
?· Take a recent photo of your child with you. If you are separated, it will help in finding them.


Social Committee News
By Andrea Turner
Thank you to everyone who attended the Easter Egg Hunt this year. I hope everyone enjoyed themselves and are planning on attending the Halloween party in the fall. We had several volunteers to help make the event possible. Thank you to the following people: Monda Caudill, Judy Claar, Beth Boyd, Debbie Segbers, Sharon Lach, Denise DeNunzio, Chuck and Beverly Zurhorst, Stephania Wilson, and Craig Turner.
We are still in need of someone to be the director of the social committee. This is a job that needs someone to organize the events and distribute work to the other committee members. This can possibly be co-chaired. If we don?’t have someone to do this, the events may not take place in the future. This will be my 5th year as director and I have enjoyed doing it and it has been very rewarding. I would like to see the events continue. If you have an interest in being the director or even co-director, please call me at 577-9311. Thanks and I?’ll see you at the Halloween party.


The Annual Halloween Party is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 30 at the Seton Parish Activity Center. Watch for more information in the fall issue of The Duck & Pony Show.


Community Baby Sitting List
Adults:
Melissa Wulliger (Before and/or After School)
Secretariat Place . . . . . . . 860-0160
Bobbi Haverfield - Saratoga Lane . . . 575-0011
Teresa Harness - Harness Place . . . . 755-2861
Kelli Albanese - Thoroughbred Dr. . . . 861-1756
Betsy Pierce - Teal Lane . . . . . . . 575-6505
Kelly Marcum - Arabian Ct. . . . . . . 861-9058
Teenagers: (Listed Under Parents?’ Name)
Terry Anderson - Thoroughbred Dr. . . 861-1206
Laura Goslee (2 Teenagers) -
Saratoga Ln. 755-9567
Judy Hagerman - Belmont Place . . . . . 864-4494
Jannet Hausmann - Mallard Pond Dr. . . 759-9390
Lisa Lambert - Bentwood Farms Dr. . . 577-0887
Sherri Ricart - Saddlehorn St. . . . . 868-0849



Point of View
By Chuck Zurhorst
One of my greatest pet peeves is the endless, over abundance of plastic bag advertising and loose flyers distributed, without invitation, on a seemingly never-ending and ongoing basis to every household, occupied and unoccupied, in our neighborhood. Indiscriminately thrown in the street, on my lawn or, when I?’m lucky, in my driveway, these paper and plastic missiles rarely, if ever, even get read. Why, I bet that if I drove up to the home of one of these ?“distributors of junk?” and tossed a like amount of paper and plastic in their yard, they would call the sheriff and have me arrested and fined for littering.
If I were Duke of the Grand Duchy of Bentwood Farms/Mallard Pond I would ban their distribution. But, that would be suppressing the publisher?’s and advertiser?’s Constitutional Right to Freedom of Speech. An alternative, I guess, as Grand Potentate of the Grand Duchy of Ducks and Ponies, would be to banish the distributors of all this junk to the back yards and storm sewers, where, after a week in the streets, the litter ultimately collects, washing into our pond and streams. As punishment, I would make them read, word for word, all the prices and descriptions of hearing aids, lettuce, ground beef, mouth wash, toilet bowl cleanser, deodorant, shaving cream, motor oil, windshield washer fluid, storm doors and siding and every classified ad and social announcement in each and every shopper and flyer.
Well, until that time comes, I?’ll at least continue to pick the crap up from the street and my yard (and the yards of unoccupied houses, too) so I don?’t have paper and plastic blowing all over my neighbors yards and shrubbery, making the neighborhood look like the Fairfield County landfill. Maybe the purveyors of trash and litter will get the hint and slow down enough to hang the bags and flyers on the oversized cup hook that I broke my fingernails on while trying to install it on my mail box post. Wouldn?’t that be nice!


Your ?“Guest?” Point of View is always welcomed. For consideration please submit your commentary to Chuck Zurhorst via U.S. Mail or e-mail (Subject: NEWSLETTER) in Microsoft Word document at chuckbev@iwaynet.net


Communications Committee, Etc.
By Sharon Lach
COMMUNICATIONS: The ongoing projects continue to include updating the community map, babysitting list, phone directory. If you find an error in the directory that you received last August, please call me so the master list can be updated. We are going to try and get a new phonebook out next spring.
GROUNDS: The grounds have been very difficult to maintain this past month. With all the rain, killing the thistle is very hard. The weeds are now under control. Within the month, dirt will be put down on Harmon Road in preparation for fall grass seed. For the last several years there have been no flowers at the entrances to our community. This lack of curb appeal is the first impression families have of us. I have started planting flowers at the Mallard Pond drive entrance. Volunteers are needed to help me with the other beds... We greatly appreciate your time and help. Volunteers make all the difference.

By the time you read this newsletter, the entrance path to the pond will be done. During the summer, the problem with the drainage basin will be fixed also.

WELCOME WAGON: If you have new neighbors or didn?’t receive a Welcome Folder when you moved in, please call Sharon Lach. It contains a welcome letter, phone directory, map, Violet Township sexual predator update and recent issues of our newsletter.
ON A SPECIAL NOTE: The families living next to the entrance beds are asked to help with the watering of the new flowers if it does not rain. This act of kindness will help the flowers survive through the summer and fall. It takes a lot of time and effort planting only to lose the flowers for lack of water.


Unless otherwise posted on signs throughout the community, The Bentwood Farms/Mallard Pond Homeowner?’s Association Meetings are held on the first Monday of each month at the Violet Township Office?’s meeting room at 12970 Rustic Drive, at the far left hand side of the building. Make it a point to attend. We welcome your participation.

Trustees:
President ?– Jim McGrath, Email: JMVETT@aol.com
Vice President ?– Chuck Zurhorst, 864-6012
Treasurer ?– Curt Anderson, 861-1206
Secretary ?– Stephania Wilson, 868-8068
ACC ?– Craig Turner, 577-9311
Communications/Grounds/Welcome Wagon ?–
Sharon Lach, 861-0325
Special Projects ?– Wayne Whitehead, Email: wpje@excite.com
Committees:
Social Committee ?– Andrea Turner, 577-9311
Architectural Control Committee (ACC) ?–
Craig Turner, 577-9311
Mike Lyman, 751-9614
Chuck Zurhorst, 864-6012


Contact Jim McGrath at JMVETT@aol.com for information on advertising in the Duck & Pony Show