Buckingham Greene Maintenance Corporation

Fall/Winter, 2006 Newsletter

Jan 11, 2007

Happy Holidays
We wish everyone a very happy and healthy Holiday Season, as well as a joyous and prosperous New Year. Once again, much was accomplished within our little community of Buckingham Greene over the past several months. Following is a quick recap of some of the highlights within the development, as well as a preview of some exciting events yet to come.

2006 Assessment
Thank you once again for your prompt attention to the 2006 annual assessment. We had a 100% response rate within the community. The funds will be used for playground maintenance, grass cutting, insurance, etc. As always, your swift response was greatly appreciated by the Maintenance Corporation Board of Directors. Please feel free to contact any member of the Board with questions. Thank you!

Fun & Games
The Social Committee (Blair Nowland, Lani Gibson, Rita McCann, and Tammy Zoppi) continues to do a wonderful job organizing fun events for members of our community and their friends and relatives. Blair was particularly instrumental in organizing both our annual Independence Day community parade, as well as our annual Halloween community parade. Both events were a great deal of fun for all of the participants (children and adults alike). After marching around the development, snacks and refreshments were made available at Blair?’s house (thanks again Blair).

In addition, the Social Committee organized our 4th annual Blue Rocks outing at Frawley Stadium in Wilmington over the summer. More than a dozen residents attended the game for what turned out to be a great evening out together. Lani Gibson and Rita McCann were instrumental in organizing this wonderful outing. Thanks again to the Social Committee. We all look forward to more events in the near future.

More Fun & Games ?– Progressive Dinner Party
And for even more fun, the community held our first ever Buckingham Greene Progressive Dinner Party on November 11th. The evening of fun started with appetizers at Ann and Charlie Diggins house. Afterwards, the party moved to the homes of Lani and Jay Gibson, as well as Rita and Rich McCann for dinner. The evening ended with cocktails and dessert at Dianne Bowen?’s and Chris Klaber?’s beautiful new house. The event was a terrific success as everyone had a terrific time. A very special Thank You to Lani, Rita, Ann, and Dianne for planning the event and opening up their homes. Stay tuned for more fun events in the near future.

Community Services
Alan Herring (113 Scotts Way) is currently accepting new tax clients. Alan is a CPA with an undergraduate degree from the University of Delaware, as well as a Masters degree in taxation from Widener University. He has over 30 years experience and would be happy to discuss his services with you. If you are in need of tax advice, or know of any individuals or small businesses looking for assistance, please feel free to contact Alan directly at 475-7976 (or by email at abhcpa@aol.com). Thank you!

Are you in need of handyman services? If you require cleaning services (windows, gutters, power washing), deck staining, various home repairs, electrical work, carpentry, tile work, etc., give Ron Iorii a call at 302-427-2807. Through the years, Ron has accumulated a list of specialties with an excellent core of workers. He will always go that extra mile while providing expert craftsmen who are knowledgeable, safe, and courteous. He is very proud of the network of people he works with, and they will enjoy working for you as well. If you are interested in learning more, be sure to give Ron a call for a complimentary estimate.

Announcements
Tim and Nichole Bishop (50 Weilers Bend) recently brought home a new addition to the Buckingham Greene community. Elliot Jonathan Bishop was born November 7th, weighing 7 pounds 8 ounces and measured in at 21 inches. He has blondish red hair and blue eyes. Mom, Dad, big sister Isabel, and baby Elliot are all doing well. Congratulations to the entire Bishop family!

Buckingham Greene would like to welcome our newest neighbors to the development. Ella Edwards and Brian & Yvonne Matthews recently moved into 26 Weilers Bend. Please be sure to say hello and introduce yourself to them. We all wish you and your family much joy and happiness in your new home.

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
Yuletide at Winterthur (Nov 18th - Jan 7th)
Tour H.F. du Pont?’s mansion ?“wrapped in holiday style?”. Delight in Winterthur?’s grounds aglow with holiday lights. Before or after your tour, visit the exhibition ?“Fashion in Film?”.
?· Admission: $20 for adults; $18 for students and seniors; $10 for ages 2-11.
?· For information call 888-4600 or visit www.winterthur.org.

First Night Wilmington (Dec 31st 4-10pm)
Get your New Year?’s Eve party started at the fourteenth annual celebration of the arts on Sunday, December 31, 2006 from 4pm to 10pm with a grand fireworks finale at 10pm over Rodney Square. Fun-filled activities in and around Rodney Square will entertain the entire family! From marionette shows, to dance performances, strolling entertainers and a variety of exciting bands, First Night Wilmington 2007 promises to be an event to remember. Special features for this year?’s event include; our ever popular Youth Entertainment tent sponsored by Bank of America, and the return of last year?’s very popular DuPont Skating Rink on Market Street. There?’s really no better way to begin the New Year.
?· Admission: One button $7, two $10, children under age 10 are free. Buttons are available at all Happy Harry?’s locations.
?· For information call 576-3095.

Community Outreach Programs
New Castle County Government has several individuals that are available to regularly attend civic meetings with the purpose of educating residents through presentations on available county programs and services. New Castle County is dedicated to the continued success of Maintenance Corporations, Civic Associations, and Civic Umbrella Groups throughout the county. Norman Spector (from the Office of Community Governing) has recently contacted the Buckingham Greene Maintenance Corporation to provide contacts for the various county civic programs.

Current programs that are available to present to our residents at one of our association meetings include the Community Emergency Response Team, CPR/AED training, Child Safety Seats, Community Watch & Block Watch, 911 System and how to use it, etc. If any residents are interested in having a representative speak to any of these topics during a meeting, please contact any member of the Board of Directors (Paul Zoppi, Rich McCann, Tom Tryon, Alan Herring, Shelli McGrory). Thank you.

Tip of the Month
Wanted to share a few bits of information with everyone in the development. Please feel free to contact any member of the Board of Directors with questions.

Item #1 Heater Repair
One of our neighbors (Lisa Goodman-Breyer) recently had trouble getting the heat to come on in her home. Lisa called a contractor (Geiger/Horizon) who came out and told her that she needed to replace the inducer motor in her
heater, and that the cost would be either $619.00 or $728.00 (depending on whether or not she signed up for one of their service contracts). They charged $79.50 just to come out and tell Lisa what the problem was. They also told her that the life of the system was 12-15 years, which didn't sound right to Lisa.

Lisa called another Heating contractor (Glazar Bros. Inc). They are the original folks who put these units in our neighborhood when the homes were first built. They quoted Lisa $206.78 for the same job, and were able to schedule the repairs the next day. Glazar determined that her unit didn't need the part previously mentioned by Geiger/Horizon, and they/Glazar were able to get it working in about 10 minutes. The Glazar service rep said he RARELY EVER replaces that particular part. They often get stuck after
sitting all summer. Glazar also told Lisa that these units should last about 20 years. They said that since they installed the units, whenever we need any assistance on a weekend, we can call them. We don't need to have a service contract with them to get the emergency service call. Lisa was kind enough to share her experience with other neighbors who may not want to fork out a huge chunk of money for something that they don't need. Sounds like Glazar Bros. may be a good company to call on in a pinch. Please pass this along to any neighbors/friends.

Item #2 Mailbox Vandalism
Recently, our community was hit by vandals who contaminated a mailbox with dog feces. Since this is not the first time that this has happened within the development, we are asking everyone to be vigilant and to keep an eye out for any vandalism within Buckingham Greene. In addition, all of us also need to be aware of the following:

* Tampering with the US mail and mailboxes is a federal offense punishable by law
* Due to the anthrax letter attacks in the fall of 2001, and as highlighted in the Patriot Act, it is also considered a "terroristic threat"
* More than the homeowner, these actions threaten the health and welfare of the US mail carriers, a federal employee
* If/when the perpetrators are arrested, the US Postal Service is within its rights to press full charges

We have a great community with great neighbors who care about our homes, families, and friends. Let's make sure we don't allow vandals to disrupt our neighborhood. If you see any suspicious activity within the development, please call the police immediately. Thanks for your support.

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 TBD?…

Happy Holidays!!!