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Meadows Messenger
AUGUST-OCTOBER 2002 VOLUME XV, NO. 4
Published by the Fairlington Meadows Council of Co-Owners in Historic Fairlington
NOTES FROM THE BOARD
By John Stack, President
Board Openings. The annual meeting is coming up again October 15th (see related article on page three). This year, we will have two Board openings as Tim Tereska and Ron Quinn are stepping down after three and six years respectively. I encourage all residents to consider volunteering for this community participation. Generally, the time commitment consists of monthly board meetings lasting from 2-3 hours. Please contact Jim Cowell (703-631-7200) if you would like to be a candidate.
Patio Tour. Congratulations and “it was Great!” to the Buildings and Grounds Committee for hosting a very well run patio and garden tour. Special thanks to Kym Hill for creating a lively and descriptive guide of the patios. I didn’t realize how easy it is to get lost behind all of the homes in our village!
Meadows Messenger Editor. Many thanks to Carrie Quinn, stepping down as the Meadows Messenger Editor with this issue. Over the last six years she has included many varied and informative articles in the Messenger. Carrie created an organized and professional publication from the submissions of many contributors, who depended on her expertise, myself included.
POOL SEASON ENDS WITH A SPLASH
By Rose Stack, Pool Committee Member
On September 8, the warning light flashed on the dashboard of our pool program indicating that we were out of gas and had to call it quits.
Of all the Kodak moments throughout the pool season, we liked the end of season water slide set up outside the pool, with kids sliding and splashing. Also, with Dave’s 50-50 raffle, a certain young lady smiled in surprise. Another cozy time was Float Night-II, which included a surprise movie — “Spy Kids.” It was a cool evening (for August !!) and root beer floats made it cooler. The audience snuggled under their pool towels till about 9:15 when everyone starting getting jackets from home. Rate this activity A+.
The last day picnic was an upper, not a downer. After all, it had been a good pool season starting in May, and everyone has a life outside the pool, right? Right? A half hour from closing time, some residents still were not ready to say ‘that’s it” and got in a last dip, lap, or toss.
If you came to the picnic, you noticed how jazzy the food table looked under the pool’s new shade awning. The awning makes a great party canopy, but we purchased it mainly to offer some shade to those who don’t want, or can’t get, a chair under an umbrella.
At season end, we like to acknowledge the efforts of those residents who had an impact on pool activities. This year we thank especially the Court Chairs. They were called on not once, but twice, to help with distribution of our summer “pool updates”. We needed to rely on these volunteers, and they did not let us down. Yet another way the Court Chairs are a village necessity.
Also thanks and appreciation to the pool staff:
Pool Manager and Director of Fun, Dave Lassiter. Thanks for your community spirit and watchful caring. Your movie DVD set-up is much appreciated. Dave returns to Swanson Middle School as Swim Coach. To the “deputy pool manager”, Maureen McAlorrow, who solo managed several activities. She is now imparting wisdom in her classroom at St. James Catholic School in Falls Church.
Katherine Lukmire – returning to Carleton College;
Drew Dean – returning to Temple University;
Claire Cassens – from Hawaii to the Meadows guard chair, and now off to Virginia Tech for a semester;
Anthony Whitestone — studying hard at Wakefield High. He really enjoyed his first year with us.We hope to see this great team come back healthy and strong in ’03.
Special thanks to: Cliff Beasley for hosting both the Wine & Cheese and Beer Tasting Night. He always has the right recipe for gathering folks round a table. Thanks, and high fives, to resident sky-man, Victor Slabinski; this year it was Venus that was brought a little closer to the pool through his telescope. Thanks to new committee member Karl Ruiz for the donation of the large corkboard for posting notices; and to him and the other new members for their input over the summer. Thanks also to all the residents who came to the Sept. 8″ picnic with goodies of some kind. And always, thanks to the Board for their continued support.
Early Morning Swimming for 2003: There have been a few requests for an early morning pool opening, time (7 am-ish) for lap swimming or water exercises once our new season starts up. There are several things to work out, the first of which is cost for extra lifeguard coverage. Before we make plans for next year, which might include the other five South Fairlington pools, please inform John Thurber of your interest. Based on the response, we will go on from there. Contact John at 703-998-8723.
We’re still in shock: Two regulars at the pool for the last 20 years are off to bigger waters – the Pacific Ocean, no less. Denny and Mary Klauer are headed for the endless summer in Hawaii thanks to the U.S. Navy. The Klauers contributed much to the ambiance of Meadows pool life, not the least of which is a wonderful thing known as the ‘zowie’. We wish them well.
We wish all of you well, too: “From the mountains, To the prairies, To the ocean, White with foam … (You say the last line … ). Till next May ……….
OWNERS, MARK YOUR CALENDARS
By Carrie Quinn, Editor
October 15th marks the Annual Meeting of the Council of Co-Owners. Join remaining Board Members John Stack, Dave Laufer, and Victoria Hughes, Committee Chairs and neighbors for this important event at the Fairlington Community Center. Sign-in starts at 6:30, and President Stack hopes to start the meeting promptly at 7 p.m. THIS DEPENDS ON YOU!!
Either hit the door prior to start time with proxy in hand or make sure you’ve sent in your proxy by mail!! The proxy package is in the mail if not on your doorstep by now. Join the gang for refreshments while discussing the 2003 Budget, hearing year-end committee reports, and electing two new officers to the Board for three-year terms.
One potential candidate for the Board is Jim Richards. His biography follows:
BOARD BIO: I have been a resident of the Meadows since May of 1999, and have worked for Congress since January of 1996. Prior to that, I was the General Manager of a company based out of Las Cruces, New Mexico, Owner of Sedona Touring Company, and a Sergeant in the U.S. Army among other things. I am primarily interested in serving on the Board of Directors in order to make a contribution to the community my family and I call home. Specifically, I would like to ensure the Meadows is receiving adequate services for the contracts it lets and that the board remains vigilant in its efforts to serve as the voice of Meadows residents.
My better half is Patty Richards (Pool Committee) and my boss (daughter) is Pague Richards, a nine year old fourth grader.
Jim Richards
3307 S. Stafford St.
HISTORICAL SOCIETY UPDATE
By Ron Patterson, FHS President
Great news about the re-publication of Fairlington at 50, exciting plans for the Fairlington’s 60th Anniversary Celebration for 2003, and Board elections are featured in the Fairlington Historical Society’s (FHS) annual meeting in October. All residents are invited to attend this event which is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 24, 2002, at the South Fairlington Community Center.
The Historical Society has been working with Catherine Fellows, the author of Fairlington at 50, and the Fairlington Citizens Association (FCA) to reissue the 1993 history of Fairlington. The FHS Board will have an announcement regarding this all-important project at the Annual Meeting.
The FHS is also establishing a planning committee which will include other Fairlington associations in organizing a series of activities and events to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of Fairlington in 2003. Preliminary plans for this celebration will be announced at the Annual Meeting. Residents interested in assisting with the Celebration are encouraged to attend this meeting and to volunteer in planning for these events.
Two members of the FHS Board of Trustees are up for reelection this year. Sandy Hodapp, current Treasurer, and Ron Patterson, current President, will be runningfor reelection. The election will be held at this meeting. All interested residents are
welcome to run for these Board positions.During the meeting, the Board will present the Society’s annual report for 2002.
Questions about the Annual Meeting can be referred to Ron Patterson at 703-931-0687 or email at ronaldp755@verizon.net.
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
October 15: Meadows Council of Co-Owners Annual Meeting, South Fairlington Community Center, Sign-in at 6:30 p.m.
October 24: Fairlington Historical Society Annual Meeting, South Fairlington Community Center, 6:30 p.m.
November 6: Buildings and Grounds Committee Meeting, at David Manning’s, 4110 South Stafford Street
November 19: Meadows Board Meeting, South Fairlington Community Center, 7:30 p.m.
December 17: Meadows Board Meeting, South Fairlington Community Center, 7:30 p.m.
COMMITTEE FALL PLANTING PLANS UNDERWAY
By Chuck Edwards and David Manning, Co-Chairs
Fall Planting: The Building and Grounds Committee is in the process of reviewing requests from residents for the fall planting. Committee members met in August with our landscaper for suggestions concerning areas for new plant material.
We hope to have this project completed in late October or early November.Tree Work: During the fall, Arlington County will work on the street trees in the Meadows. (These trees are the property of the county.) Six trees will be pruned by county crews to remove dead limbs; four trees may be pruned by Care of Trees under the Public/Private Tree Plan; and two trees, at 3442 South Stafford and 4325 South Utah, will be removed.
Jerry Dieruf, our arborist, is working with the County to have these two trees replaced with willow oaks, which grow well in the narrow strip between the street and the sidewalk.
Watering: The committee asks residents to water all shrubbery and trees, new and existing, because of the extremely dry weather during the past summer.
Residents are asked to place a hose at the base of shrubs and trees and allow a steady trickle to soak the root areas. This should be done for twenty to thirty minutes, two or three times a week.
Even in winter, plants can be severely damaged by drought. Watering will help the new plants to establish themselves and help older trees and shrubs survive.
Patio Tour: This was truly a successful event, with over 160 people touring the patios that Meadows’ residents opened for us.
All Building and Grounds members helped with this project. However, we would especially like to thank Kym Hill, who organized the tour and designed and printed the tour guide. Thank you, Kym, for all your dedication and hard work.
Fairlington Historical Society: Committee member Victor Slabinski is working with the FHS’s Architectural Integrity Committee on keeping the Fairlington historically accurate.
Victor reports that the Society is researching appropriate lighting, woodwork, shutters, gutters, etc. in order to make recommendations to all Fairlington condominium boards.
Community Pride: The Meadows covers about 22 acres, and all of us need to help with keeping our homes as attractive as possible. Therefore, if you see a bit of debris on the grounds, please consider picking it up and disposing of it properly. All of us working together will help keep the community looking great.
New Members: We welcome new member Adriana Younskevicius to the Buildings and Grounds committee. Adriana has lived in the Meadows since last fall.
Remember, any resident with an interest in our buildings and grounds is welcome to join us – even if it’s only for a meeting now and then. See the Community Calendar for upcoming meeting dates and locations.
Farewell: The Committee would like to wish Mollie Regan and her husband Mike good luck in their new home in Florida. Mollie has been an active member of the B & G, and she and Mike have been great neighbors since the summer of 2001.
Note: If any resident would like us to consider trimming existing shrubbery this fall or planting new shrubbery or trees in the spring of 2003, please contact the committee by writing Chuck Edwards at 3460 A-1 South Stafford.
F O O D B Y T E S
Contributed by
Janet Filer and Carrie Quinn
Nutritionists recommend three to five servings of vegetables per day as veggies are a good source of fiber, have lots of vitamins and minerals, and only include the fat of the other recipe ingredients used in the cooking preparation.
To some folks, that’s a lot of servings. To get these recommended servings, think creatively.
Drink a vegetable juice. Add pepper strips or cucumbers to your sandwiches instead of the usual lettuce and tomato. Eat carrot, jicama, or celery sticks or green/red/yellow pepper strips with your sandwich instead of potato chips.
Add your favorite veggies (mushrooms, peppers, tomatoes and/or onion) to your Sunday morning, omelet or scrambled eggs.
With pasta dishes, add peppers, scallions, and/or zucchini to your meat sauce. Steam asparagus and prepare a garlic butter sauce to top your linguine. Or saute portabello mushrooms in white wine and butter for your angel hair pasta.
When it comes to preparing fresh vegetables, the simplest way is often the best. Simplicity is the key to these vegetable ideas.
Vegetable Medley
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 small onion, sliced and separated into rings
1 small green pepper, chopped
2 medium yellow squash, sliced
2 medium zucchini, sliced
2 small tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1/4 teaspoon dried whole basil
1/8 teaspoon pepperCoat a large skillet with cooking spray; place over medium heat until hot. Add garlic and onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add squash and zucchini and cover/cook for 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, green pepper and seasonings. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes.
Serves 4.Dilled Zucchini and Corn1/4 cup butter
4 cups sliced zucchini
1 1/2 cup fresh corn (cut from cob)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon minced fresh dillMelt butter in large skillet. Add veggies and salt.Cover and cook over medium heat for 10-12 minutes. Stir occasionally. Sprinkle with dill.
Serves 4-6.