Buckingham Greene Maintenance Corporation

Fall, 2004 Newsletter

Sep 17, 2004

Goodbye Summer
Believe it or not, the summer of 2004 is quickly coming to a close. We hope everyone has had an enjoyable and relaxing few months. We?’ve had a lot going on within Buckingham Greene during the summer months. From 4th of July parades, to community improvements and maintenance, the summer has been a productive one. Here?’s a quick recap of some of the happenings within Buckingham Greene.

Blair Nowland and Rita McCann continue to do a wonderful job leading our Social Committee. Both Blair and Rita were instrumental in organizing our third annual 4th of July community parade. The event was a great deal of fun for all of the participants (children and adults alike). After marching around the development in a full patriotic display of red, white and blue colors, snacks and refreshments were made available at the playground.

In addition, the Social Committee organized our 2nd annual Blue Rocks outing at Frawley Stadium in Wilmington. Residents attending the game were each treated to a free Blue Rocks baseball cap courtesy of ?“Cap Night?” at the stadium. The highlight of the evening was having our community name shown on the big screen scoreboard as they announced all of the groups in attendance. It was a wonderful outing and we all look forward to more events in the near future.

Annual Picnic/Block Party
Speaking of more fun and games, please join us as the community gets together for our annual picnic/block party. The event is scheduled for September 18th (rain date September 19th), and is free and open to all members of the community and their families. We will be barbecuing (hotdogs and hamburgers), as well as serving side dishes and desserts. There will be games and activities for the children (although adults will be strongly encouraged to participate as well).

If you would like to be part of the fun, please give Rita McCann a call at 529-7554 and let her know how many will be attending. We welcome any ideas you may have to help make this our best picnic ever. In addition, if you are willing to bring a side dish and/or prepare a dessert, give Rita a call so she can keep track of who is bringing which items. We will also be in need of one or two barbecue grills, as well as some tables and chairs. If you can help in any way, please give Rita a call.

Adults Only Social
And for even more fun, as previously communicated our second ?“Adults Night Out Social?” will be held October 16th at Kid Shelleen?’s in Wilmington. The cost will be $30 per person, which will include a buffet style dinner with 3 entr?©e selections, salad, dessert and non-alcoholic drinks (coffee, hot tea and iced tea). A cash bar with our own bartender will be set up in the room. The cost is inclusive of all gratuities and room charges. The event is open to all adult residents of Buckingham Greene (sorry, no kids again). Checks should be made payable to the ?“Buckingham Greene Maintenance Corporation?”, and can be delivered to Paul Zoppi at 109 Scotts Way as soon as possible.

So won?’t you please join us for some good food and good fun, with a whole bunch of great people. It will be a wonderful way to meet some of your new neighbors, and perhaps get reacquainted with some of your ?“old?” neighbors. If you have never attended a Buckingham Greene event before, this would be a fantastic opportunity for you to attend your very first. And if you have attended previous events, please do consider joining us once again. Contact Paul at 529-7760 with any questions. Hope to see everyone there!

Foxes on the loose
As has been reported by numerous neighbors, we have a family of foxes residing in our community. The Board of Directors has contacted the state regarding the animals. Unfortunately, there isn?’t much we can do since the foxes are protected in the state of Delaware (after all, they were here first). However, after contacting several animal control experts, we have been assured that the foxes pose no threat to our children or our pets. Foxes are omnivorous, feeding on fruit, birds, small mammals, insects, and other invertebrates, especially earthworms. If you see a fox, a little common sense will go a long way. Do not approach a wild fox. Observe them from a distance -- there is a certain distance at which most wild foxes will tolerate people, and it is different for each fox. Foxes generally avoid human contact. However, if you do see a fox within the development, by simply making some noise you will most likely frighten it away. Please feel free to contact any members of the Board of Directors with questions. Thank you.

Announcements
Buckingham Greene would like to welcome our newest neighbor to the development. Loren Kahlbaugh recently moved into 66 Weilers Bend (former home of Brad and Kathy Shuts). Please be sure to say hello and introduce yourself to her. Welcome Loren!

In addition, Jimmy Jarrell and Lauren Pennell of 26 Weilers Bend have announced their engagement. Jimmy and Lauren will be married June 4th, 2005 at Bellevue State Park. Lauren has a 5 year-old daughter named Taylor who is anxiously awaiting the big day. Congratulations from the entire community of Buckingham Greene. We all wish you much joy and happiness in your new lives together.

And finally, George Lazar, a resident of Wallingford, Pennsylvania will wed Miriam Sigler on Sunday November 21st, 2004 at Congregation Beth Israel in Media. The couple met at a ballroom dance class in Wilmington in November 2002. After they marry, they will reside at 42 Weilers Bend, where Miriam and her daughter, Sylvia, currently live. George and Miriam bring into their marriage a combined total of 5 children and 4 grandchildren. However, your new neighbor in Buckingham Greene will just be George since his kids are all grown and living on their own.

More good news for the family is that Miriam's daughter, Sylvia, was accepted into the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program (the gifted and talented program for the Brandywine School District). IB has was founded in 1924 by a group of diplomats in Geneva, Switzerland. There are over 1,800 schools in the world that incorporate the IB curriculum, with over half of those schools being in the United States. Outside the Brandywine School District, IB in Delaware is also offered at Wilmington Friends. In states where IB is established, colleges often waive certain freshman requirements of students who have completed the IB course of study. Special congratulations to Sylvia. Keep up the good work!

Don?’t forget, if you have anything you would like to announce to your fellow neighbors (i.e., birth announcements, anniversaries, birthdays, business advertising) please contact Paul Zoppi at 109 Scotts Way (feel free to email Paul with the specifics at pzoppi109@cs.com.) Thank you.

Upcoming Local Events
- Wilmington Heart Walk (September 12th) 3.1 mile walk benefits the American Heart Association. Shipyard Shops, Riverfront, Wilmington. For information call 633-0200 or visit www.americanheart.org.
- Garden Fair at Winterthur (September 17th and 18th) Program ?“Everything for the Great American Garden,?” includes speakers, garden experts, lectures, exhibits, vendors and more. Winterthur, Del. 52. Admission is $15, seniors/students $13, ages 2-11 $5. For information call 888-4600 or visit www.winterthur.org.
- DuPont RiverFest (September 18th) Annual DuPont RiverFest Family event with fun entertainment for all (10am-5pm). Wilmington?’s Riverfront and riverwalk. Call 658-1870 for information.
- Hagley Car Show (September 19th) ?– Hundreds of cars on the general show field will reflect the variety of makes and models that are a part of automotive history. Enjoy music, vehicle parades, and a festival food court. Hagley Museum, Del. 141, along the Brandywine River near Greenville. Admission is $7, ages 6-14 $4, 5 and younger free. Call 658-2400 for information (www.hagley.org).
- Harvest Moon Festival (October 2nd and 3rd) ?– Sponsored by the Delaware Nature Society. Family-oriented event offering horse-drawn hayrides, scarecrow stuffing contest, international turtle race, cider pressing, wildlife presentations and more. Coverdale Farm, Greenville. Admission is $8, 5 and older $4, and 4 and younger free. Call 239-2334 for info.
- The Hagley Craft Fair (October 16th and 17th) Artisan?’s marketplace with a variety of crafts available for sale, including wood workings and furniture, garden sculptures, paintings, clothing, jewelry, pottery and handmade crafts. Hagley Museum, Del. 141, along the Brandywine River. Admission is $4. 5 and younger are free.
- Halloween Haunted Trail (October 29th and 30th) Spooky costumed characters and frightening scenes lay in wait to give thrills and chills to visitors. Hand-carved pumpkins illuminate the trail. Recommended for age 12 and over. No pre-registration required. Walk-ins welcome. Brandywine Creek State Park, Adams Dam Road near Del. 100 and 92. Admission is $7. Call 577-3534 for information.
- Boo at the Zoo! (October 30th) Celebrate Halloween at the zoo with pumpkin decorating, face-painting, live entertainment and Halloween stories. Children are encouraged to wear Halloween costumes. Walk-ins welcome. Brandywine Zoo, 1001 N. Park Drive, Wilmington. Admission is $4, 62 and older and ages 3-11 $2, 2 and younger are free. For information call 571-7747 or visit www.brandywinezoo.org.

Ride the Ducks
Are you looking for something fun to do with the entire family? Then look no further than a short drive up I-95 to Philadelphia, where you can ?“Ride the Ducks?” as part of an 80 minute tour of the city. The unique land-to-water tour, using amphibious World War II Duck vessels, will take passengers on a scenic tour of the Historic District, South Street and Society Hill. You?’ll see the Betsy Ross House, Ben Franklin?’s grave and Penn?’s Landing. Then splash into the Delaware River for a relaxing cruise ?– all on board one of these amazing vehicles.

Tours depart frequently from 6th and Chestnut, running 7 days a week (March thru November). Jay and Lani Gibson recently took their grandson on a tour and had nothing but good things to say about the experience. Admission is $23 for adults and $13 for children ages 3-12 (special rates for seniors, military, and groups over 20). For more information, call 1-215-227-DUCK or visit the website @ www.phillyducks.com.

House For Sale???
As we all know, real estate in the area has been moving at a record pace in recent months. Homes are often sold before even being publicly listed. Several neighbors have been approached by friends and family inquiring as to housing availability in Buckingham Greene. It would appear that the news is getting out about our little north Wilmington community being a terrific place to live. If you are looking to move, consider placing a notification throughout the development. Some of us might know people who would be anxious to purchase your home (and potentially alleviate the need for a realtor and the high commissions that come with them).

Open Lots Sold
Several months ago, two of the five open lots owned by Scott Weiler were sold to a local developer (Landmark Homes Corporation). The Board of Directors has been assured by the developer and realtor that two beautiful new homes will be built, and that they will fit in nicely with the existing housing styles within the community. Construction is expected to begin in the fall. Please feel free to contact any members of the Board of Directors with questions.

Community Directory
Keep an eye out for a memo regarding the updating of our community directory. We hope to send out an updated version in the fall. You will be asked to update your directory information if applicable. The directory has gone a long way in helping all of us get to know each other just a little bit better. Again, more details coming soon!

Tip of the Month
Have you been having problems with your home PC? Has your hard drive been crashing lately? Are you tired of struggling with all those newfangled computer gadgets? If you answered ?“yes?” to any of these questions, do yourself a favor and give Joe Testa of State One Systems a call at 302-562-0581. Joe is a Microsoft Certified Professional who owns and operates his own company. He will come to your home and make fast, cost effective repairs for most PCs and PC compatible equipment. He has already done work for several residents who have been completely satisfied with his services and fees. Call Joe today to speak about your concerns and/or issues. He can also be reached via email at stateone@comcast.net. Complete customer satisfaction is guaranteed!

Community Meeting to be Held
Our next community meeting will be Thursday, September 30th (starting at 6:45PM). The meeting will be held at the Brandywine Hundred Library on 1300 Foulk Road near Talley Day Park (2nd floor in the large conference room, phone 477-3150). Please do make an effort to attend. We have some important issues to discuss and make decisions on as a community.

First, we will be having elections for the Board of Directors. If you are interested in running for an officer position (i.e. President, Vice President, Treasurer or Secretary), please contact Shelli McGrory (100 Scotts Way) as soon as possible. Ballots will be drafted and made available at the meeting. In addition, if you are interested in participating on a committee (i.e. Social, Architectural Review, Landscape, etc.), please be sure to contact Shelli in advance of the meeting.

In addition, the deed restriction ballot results have been tabulated. All but one of the six proposals received the requisite number of votes for approval. The next step is to have signatures notarized and filed with New Castle County. Anyone interested in assisting with this process should please contact any members of the Board of Directors. Thanks in advance for your support.

As always, we plan on having our local representative, Wayne Smith, available to speak to current issues and answer any questions you might have. We are also hoping to have Chris Castagno present for the meeting. Mr. Castagno is running for New Castle County Executive and would like to discuss important County issues that will affect all of us. Hope to see everyone on the 30th.

Halloween Parade
Don?’t forget to mark your calendars for our annual Halloween Parade on Sunday, October 31st. We will be parading in the afternoon prior to trick-or-treating in the evening. Don?’t miss out on the fun. The parade is open to all residents of Buckingham Greene and their friends and families. Keep an eye out for more details from the social committee coming soon. Children and adults are strongly encouraged to come dressed in their favorite Halloween costume.

Contact us with Ideas
If you have anything you would like to see published in our next quarterly newsletter, please drop off a note at 109 Scotts Way, or send an email to pzoppi109@cs.com. Your input and feedback is greatly appreciated. As always, we are looking for volunteers to help with putting the newsletter together on a quarterly basis. It doesn?’t have to take up a lot of your time, and it should be a lot of fun. Please feel free to contact any of the Board Members if you are interested in participating.

Next community meeting will be September 30th at the Brandywine Hundred Library on Foulk Road. More details to follow soon.

Enjoy the Fall