Coventry Chronicles April - June 2016 Calendar of Events All meetings begin at 7:00 p.m. at the Coventry Clubhouse unless otherwise noted. Master Board Meetings begin at 6:00 p.m. for Executive Session and 7:00 p.m. for Open Session. Homeowners are welcomed and encouraged to attend. April Activities 12 Ferguson Glade Meeting 14 Master Board 18 Swim Team 25 ARC 26 Smithy Glen May Activities 4 Finch Terrace Meeting 7 Spring Yard Sale 10 Ferguson Glade Meeting 12 Master Board 16 Swim Team 23 ARC 24 Smithy Glen Annual Meeting 28 Pools OPEN June Activities 9 Master Board 14 Ferguson Glade Meeting 27 ARC 28 Smithy Glen If you have an idea for an article you would like to see in the Coventry Chronicles, or would like to submit an article or picture showcasing a Coventry event, send your idea or digital picture to the CHOA office at coventryhoa@verizon.net for submission. CHOA Board approval may be required. Coventry Board Members Tony Collins - President Martin Vogel - Vice President John Rogne - Treasurer Lynne Broome - Secretary Kelly Burleson - Director Coventry Office Staff Annette Sauer Site Manager Brenda Sours Bookkeeper Hours Tuesday Friday 10:00 am 5:00 pm How to Reach Us Phone.....(757) 867-9200 (757) 867-7100 FAX... (757) 766-0249 E-Mail coventryhoa@verizon.net Web...www.coventryhoaofyorktown.org www.facebook.com/coventryneighborhoodhoa Coventry Is Electronic Did you know that Coventry is on the web and on Facebook? The Coventry Web Page has info on Amenities, Calendar of Events, Photos, recent Newsletters (the Newsletter will be in color, too!!). The web address to look it up is at: www.coventryhoaofyorktown.org. Coventry's Facebook page has recently been added too. Check it out for info and events at www.facebook.com/coventryneighborhoodhoa. 1
Children s Easter Egg Hunt The 17th Annual Easter Egg Hunt sponsored by SULLY & TERESA SULLIVAN of LIZ MOORE & ASSOCIATES and the Coventry Homeowner s Association was a huge success. Lots of kids and their parents showed up for thousands of eggs scattered all over the Clubhouse lawn. Some of your neighbors have received letters because, at the request of residents, the office staff has been conducting more inspections as of the beginning of this year. The individual rules may sometimes seem a little pesky, but together they are aimed at achieving a tidy look in the neighborhood. When you bought your house, one of the considerations may have been that people in Coventry do what they can to maintain the property values. What is the process with these inspections? On a regular basis, somebody takes a look at your street and posts the occasional friendly reminder. In case a reminder isn't enough, a letter is sent. This letter is unfortunately a bit official, because it's part of a process. Sorry about that, we know how it feels to be criticized for something minor. If one letter isn't enough, a certified letter follows, in which the resident is invited to a hearing. In case you ever receive a violation letter, please don't let it come to the certified letter and a hearing! It's really not our idea of fun. Sometimes it may not be easy to comply. For instance, you're asked to place the trash can behind the house, but your fence doesn't open, or you're asked to fix something while it's difficult to find the right materials. Contact the office staff (you will find that the senders are really nice people) and work with them to find a way to resolve the matter. Martin Vogel, Vice President Finally, my mother approves Before I lived in Coventry, my storm door was ugly, I never had my house power-washed, I never thought about the style of my mailbox or where my trash can was parked, and I trimmed bushes only when really necessary. If I wanted to change something, I just did it without asking permission. Now, life is not so simple anymore. I have to worry about receiving letters telling me what I'm doing wrong. Me, a law-abiding citizen! At least, my mother finally approves of the looks of my house and yard. 2
it does in the winter. When the temperatures are at freezing or less, many of these frogs will carve out underground lairs where they hibernate until the temperature moderates. They will also hibernate at the bottom of ponds or pools amongst leaves and other debris. Since they have the ability to breathe using their lungs or skin, they use their skin during hibernation in the mud or water. Bullfrogs are the largest frogs found in the U.S. The picture above demonstrates an average size for this species, with males being the smaller of the sexes. Females will lay up to 20,000 eggs that float on the surface of the water. We tend to think of tadpoles as being quite small. Not these, they can grow as large as 6.75 inches and take up to 3 years to become a full-fledged frog. The American Bullfrog I was headed home from a monthly HOA meeting last spring when I spotted something on in the road up ahead. I stopped, put my flashers on, got out and to my surprise it was a bullfrog, sitting in the middle of Honeysuckle Drive. Not one to shy away from reptiles or amphibians, I attempted to pick it up and move it so that it would not get run over and as soon as I tried, it hopped away in the direction of the lake. This frog so large that the sound it made as it traversed the pavement was a distinct fwap, fwap fwap. The recent cold and snow got me to thinking about this frog and what This picture demonstrates the large size of the bullfrog tadpoles. These frogs are nocturnal and 100% opportunistic carnivores eating other frogs, snakes, birds, fish and insects. They are widespread across the North American continent and we have them right here living in our neighborhood. If you hear bellowing that resembles the mowing of a cow it is most likely our amphibian neighbors. 3
Towels never need to be washed Of course not! They only come in contact with clean water. There is no way they can start to stink, allow unwanted organisms to grow, or accumulate dirt. The same is true for our ponds and lakes. We have a total of seven, from the modest pond at Kensington Place to the large Harvest Lake behind the recreation area. They are all connected, and clean distilled rainwater flows through them, eventually ending up in the rivers and the ocean. In reality, as you know, ponds do allow algae to grow, accumulate sediment, and fray along the edges. Coventry HOA has maintained the ponds and lakes in the past, and they are mostly healthy, but the time has come to step up the effort a bit. Concerning algae prevention, thus far the fountains (called "aerators" by professionals) have done a good job keeping the water in motion and adding oxygen. This year, we're adding something new. Clarke Aquatic Services, a specialized and licensed company, will apply antialgae treatment where needed. The cove on the picture below will probably be a candidate. The prevention of erosion has several aspects. There are already several bulkheads and stone rip rap reinforcements. In order to determine what needs to be added or modified where, several of us walked the shores with a county inspector. Yes, HOA ponds get inspected by the county once or twice a year. Some pipes are on county easement and not our responsibility, some ditches along roads belong to the Virginia Department of Transportation, but most of the pond maintenance is the responsibility of the HOA. We identified several locations where stone rip rap needs to be applied to protect the shores against erosion. The picture below is an example. You can see how the slope next to the bulkhead erodes. Another example is the shore between and around the boat landing and the dock at Harvest Lake. We had rip rap there but much of it mysteriously disappeared (not so mysteriously; rumor has it that children picked up rocks and launched them from the dock, even with parents watching...). In places like this one, often the water has become really shallow over time. In the short term, we limit ourselves to identifying shallow spots. Within a couple of years, shallow spots will probably need to be dredged. At a meeting between the county and many Home Owners' Associations, we learned that this is new to most HOAs, and few are prepared to bear the costs. Stone rip rap will only be applied in selected places. Everywhere else, vegetation will have to do the trick. Thus far, our landscaping contractor, 4
ValleyCrest, has always mowed right up to the water, which makes the lakes and ponds look very tidy. The better technique, we learned, is to allow vegetation to grow. How? First, simply stop mowing and allow grass to grow 18 to 24 inches tall. This will look less tidy, but it has several benefits: the roots prevent erosion, while the vegetation filters the water, provides a natural habitat and traps sediments. Furthermore, it happens that our landscaper has a new rule in 2016: not mowing close to water for safety reasons (they had a serious accident somewhere else not long ago). Hence, this dovetails with the recommended practice. Eventually, we hope to have wildflowers planted as well to add color along the shores. Concerning the financial aspect, all this is part of the overall multi-year maintenance plan for Coventry, and the funding is in place (although dredging, scheduled for 2018, can turn out to cost more than anticipated). Thank you for approving the budget. Martin Vogel, Vice President. Tennis Lessons Tennis lessons for elementary and middle school ages will be offered at the Coventry Tennis Courts on Mondays and Tuesdays. The lessons are offered once a week for 4 weeks. Spring break tennis camp, summer tennis camps and lessons for the spring, summer and fall will be offered. March sessions are already underway. Please contact me through email at marthacuevas@cox.net for additional details or questions. I hope to see your children on the courts soon. Martha Cuevas Contrary to intuition, dumping yard debris along the shores or in ditches does not help. One might think this assists in the "cycle of life", but no, it mostly promotes algae growth and sediment buildup while reducing water quality. That is the main reason why you see hardly any trees and bushes on the shores of our ponds. So we ask respectfully that you don't get rid of dead bushes, branches, plants and pet waste by returning them to nature this way. The final thing we learned is that, while the lakes are healthy with plenty of fish and even shellfish, our wildlife is doing a little too well: there are plenty of muskrats that dig holes in the shores and accelerate erosion. It has reached a point where something will need to be done. We don't know yet what that will be. 5
Coventry Sailfish Swim Team Registration for the Coventry Sailfish Swim Team will be held on Monday, April 18 th from 7:00 PM until 8:00 PM. Come out and give it a try competitive swimming experience is not needed! Ages 5 ~ 18 You can also pick up a registration packet at the clubhouse any time after April 19 th and return them to the clubhouse. Registration costs: First Swimmer per family --- $80.00 Each additional swimmer per family --- $75.00 After May 16 th, there will be an additional $10 late fee to register. Last summer the Sailfish finished the summer in a three way tie for Division 2 Champions. The team is ready for another great season. Practices begin on Tuesday May 31 th. If you have questions, please contact us at coventrysailfish@gmail.com. 6
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Clubhouse Rental Did you know that you can rent space in the clubhouse for your party, social event, or business meeting? The renovated offices have been completed and the tile flooring has been carried into the main area to replace the laminate flooring. Everyone may not know that this is available, and the rates have recently changed. Residents of Coventry can rent the clubhouse for a fee of $200 in addition to the $75 deposit, and nonresidents of Coventry can rent the clubhouse for a fee of $400 in addition to the $75 deposit. You will have to sign a rental agreement. There are tables and chairs available to use and a kitchenette. Also, we have two covered pavilions that residents may reserve with a holding fee of $100 and there is also an agreement to sign. Coventry Chronicles Ad Information The Coventry Chronicles is published four times a year. If you would like to get the word out about your business to over 1100 families living in Coventry, please consider advertising in the neighborhood newsletter. The cost breakdown is as follows: Coventry Residents Non-Residents Business card size (about 3.5 x 2 ) $ 30.00 $ 40.00 Quarter page (portrait layout; about 3.75 x 5 ) $ 40.00 $ 50.00 Half page (landscape layout) $80.00 $100.00 Full page $160.00 $200.00 Ads must be digital ready or an additional fee may apply. Make checks payable to Coventry HOA. They can be dropped off at the office or mailed to Coventry HOA, 100 Wrought Iron Bend, Yorktown, VA 23693. 9
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