Download, complete and return the Owner Affidavit and Assessment Form if you have misplaced your copy.

*  This pool pass is kept on file at the pool, is non-transferable, and expires at the end of the 2012 season. 

The following chart list the households, by Lot number, from whom the community has received payment of the 2012 assessments and those from whom payment is still outstanding. If you are not sure of your Lot number, you can look it up by street address. If you believe that you have paid your 2012 assessments and your Lot number below does not reflect that, please contact Mary Hughes.

2012 Assessments Paid (as of  2/13/12)

• 15, 17, 23, 27, 29, 34, 35, 46, 50, 52, 58, 62, 72, 73, 75, 77, 82, 84, 85, 90, 94, 96, 97
• 109, 113, 117, 118, 119, 133, 139, 144, 145, 150, 155, 160, 173, 175, 178, 190, 191, 197
• 205, 206, 208, 209, 210, 214, 221, 227, 239, 241, 242, 244, 245, 249, 250, 251, 252, 258, 259, 264, 267, 268, 271, 275, 277, 282, 288, 291, 293, 299
• 300, 302, 305, 309, 315, 320, 323, 331, 334, 335, 344, 349, 351, 354, 357, 360, 361, 365, 367, 375, 379, 388, 391, 394, 395 partial, 397
• 400, 405, 409, 412, 431, 434, 442, 450, 456, 457, 459, 465, 466, 468, 470, 474, 475, 476, 480
• 502, 503, 517, 518, 523, 528, 536, 540, 541, 542, 547, 549, 556, 563, 567, 569, 570, 572, 573, 574, 578, 579, 583, 596, 598
• 600, 601, 602, 603, 606, 610, 611, 612, 613, 614, 616, 624, 629, 632, 637, 640, 642, 643, 645, 647, 648, 654, 657, 658, 659, 665, 668, 669, 670, 672, 678, 679, 680, 683, 684, 685, 689

2012 Assessments outstanding (as of 2/13/12)

• 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 28, 30, 31, 32, 33, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 47, 48, 49, 51, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 59, 60, 61, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 74, 76, 78, 79, 80, 81, 83, 86, 88, 89, 91, 92, 93, 95, 98
• 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 110, 111, 112, 114, 115, 116, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 140, 141, 142, 143, 146, 147, 148, 149, 151, 152, 153, 154, 156, 157, 158, 159, 161, 162, 163, 164, 165, 166, 167, 168, 169, 170, 171, 172, 174, 176, 177, 179, 180, 181, 182, 183, 184, 185, 186, 187, 188, 189, 192, 193, 194, 195, 196, 198, 199
• 200, 201, 202, 203, 204, 207, 211, 212, 213, 215, 216, 217, 219, 220, 222, 223, 224, 225, 226, 228, 229, 230, 231, 232, 233, 234, 235, 236, 237, 238, 240, 243, 246, 247, 248, 253, 254, 255, 256, 257, 260, 261, 262, 263, 265, 266, 269, 270, 272, 273, 274, 276, 278, 279, 280, 281, 283, 284, 285, 286, 287, 289, 290, 292, 294, 295, 296
• 301, 303, 304, 306, 307, 308, 310, 311, 312, 313, 314, 316, 317, 318, 319, 321, 322, 324, 325, 326, 327, 328, 329, 330, 332, 333, 336, 337, 338, 339, 340, 341, 342, 345, 346, 347, 348, 350, 352, 353, 355, 356, 358, 359, 362, 363, 364, 366, 368, 369, 370, 371, 372, 373, 374, 376, 377, 378, 380, 381, 382, 383, 384, 385, 386, 387, 389, 390, 392, 393, 396, 398, 399
• 401, 402, 403, 404, 406, 407, 408, 410, 411, 413, 414, 415, 416, 417, 418, 419, 420, 421, 422, 423, 424, 425, 426, 427, 428, 429, 430, 432, 433, 435, 436, 437, 438, 439, 440, 441, 443, 444, 445, 446, 447, 448, 449, 451, 452, 453, 454, 455, 458, 460, 461, 462, 463, 464, 467, 469, 471, 472, 473, 477, 478, 479, 481, 482, 483, 485, 486, 487, 488, 489, 490, 491, 492, 493, 494, 495, 496, 497, 498, 499
• 500, 501, 504, 505, 506, 507, 508, 509, 510, 511, 512, 513, 514, 515, 516, 519, 520, 521, 522, 524, 525, 526, 527, 529, 530, 531, 532, 533, 534, 535, 537, 538, 539, 543, 544, 545, 546, 548, 550, 551, 552, 553, 554, 555, 557, 558, 559, 560, 561, 562, 564, 565, 566, 568, 571, 575, 576, 577, 580, 581, 582, 584, 585, 586, 587, 588, 589, 590, 591, 592, 593, 594, 595, 597, 599
• 604, 605, 607, 608, 609, 615, 617, 618, 619, 620, 621, 622, 623, 625, 626, 627, 628, 630, 631, 633, 634, 635, 636, 638, 639, 641, 644, 646, 649, 650, 651, 652, 653, 655, 656, 660, 661, 662, 663, 664, 666, 667, 671, 673, 674, 675, 676, 677, 681, 682, 686, 687, 688, 690, 691, 692, 693, 694, 695, 696, 697, 698, 699

The Home Security Survey

District 6 County Police will visit your house to survey and give friendly advice to help you protect your house and family.  Cpl Woody encourages questions via his email.    I had the survey  and learned additional ways to protect my family.

Police will inspect the following inside and outside:

• Hinged, garage and sliding doors
• Frame and strike plates
• Locks
• Hinges
• Door viewers
• Windows and casements
• Alarms
• Lighting
• Shrubbery

Police will introduce and review:

• Security habits
• Operation ID
• Vacation practices
• Neighborhood watch
• Safety inside and outside of your home

For more information or to schedule you home security survey, please e-mail Cpl.Woody at jmwoody@co.pg.md.us 

Please remember to watch your neighbor’s property also.

Richard Mason
Security Committee

Go to the Notify Me website to register for this free service.   (Check with your cell service provider on their charges for text messages.)

Richard Mason, Security Committee

Driving in Snow and Ice

The best advice for driving in bad winter weather is not to drive at all if you can avoid it.
Don’t go out until the snow plows and sanding trucks have had a chance to do their work and allow yourself extra time to reach your destination.
If you must drive in snowy conditions, make sure your car is prepared — clean off all snow and ice from the car, defrost windows completely, and check for adequate windshield washer solution — and that you know how to handle road conditions.
It’s helpful to practice winter driving techniques in a snowy, open parking lot, so you’re familiar with how your car handles. Consult your owner’s manual for tips specific to your vehicle.
Driving safely on icy roads

Decrease your speed and leave yourself plenty of room to stop. You should allow at least three times more space than usual between you and the car in front of you.

Brake gently to avoid skidding.  If your wheels start to lock up, ease off the brake.

Turn on your lights to increase your visibility to other motorists.

Keep your lights and windshield clean.   Make sure you have plenty of windshield washer solution.

Use low gears to keep traction, especially on hills.

Don’t use cruise control or overdrive on icy roads.

Be especially careful on bridges, overpasses and infrequently traveled roads, which will freeze first.  Even at temperatures above freezing,  if the conditions are wet, you might encounter ice in shady areas or on exposed roadways like bridges.

Don’t pass snow plows and sanding trucks. The drivers have limited visibility, and you’re likely to find the road in front of them worse than the road behind.

Don’t assume your vehicle can handle all conditions — even four-wheel and front-wheel drive vehicles can encounter trouble on winter roads.

If your rear wheels skid…

• Take your foot off the accelerator.
• Steer in the direction you want the front wheels to go.  If your rear wheels are sliding left, steer left.  If they’re sliding right, steer right.
• If your rear wheels start sliding the other way as you recover, ease the steering wheel toward that side.  You might have to steer left and right a few times to get your vehicle completely under control.
• If you have standard brakes, pump them gently.
• If you have anti-lock brakes (ABS), do not pump the brakes.  Apply steady pressure to the brakes.  You will feel the brakes pulse — this is normal.

If your front wheels skid…

• Take your foot off the gas and shift to neutral, but don’t try to steer immediately.
• As the wheels skid sideways, they will slow the vehicle and traction will return. As it does, steer in the direction you want to go.  Then put the transmission in “drive” or release the clutch, and accelerate gently.

If you get stuck…

• Do not spin your wheels.  This will only dig you in deeper.
• Turn your wheels from side to side a few times to push snow out of the way.
• Use a light touch on the gas to ease your car out.
• Use a shovel to clear snow away from the wheels and the underside of the car.
• Pour sand, kitty litter, gravel or salt in the path of the wheels, to help get traction.
• Try rocking the vehicle. (Check your owner’s manual.)

Richard Mason, Orwood
Security Committee

Homeowners and do-it-yourselfers will be required to follow University of Maryland guidelines when fertilizing lawns, gardens and landscape areas.   These guidelines will be promoted through a public education program that will include information on best management practices to follow when using fertilizers, soil testing information, and how to read and follow a fertilizer label.   The following provisions of the law apply to homeowners and do-it-yourselfers:

• Prohibits using lawn fertilizer on impervious surfaces.
• Prohibits using fertilizer:
• Between November 15 and March 1
• When the ground is frozen
• Within 10 to 15 feet of waterways
• Restricts the amount of phosphorus applied to turf, with allowances when soil tests indicate low or medium phosphorus levels or when the homeowner is establishing a new lawn or repairing or reestablishing a lawn.
• Establishes maximum application rates for total nitrogen and water soluble nitrogen.
• Establishes maximum application rates for enhanced efficiency controlled-release products.
• Authorizes the county, municipality or the Maryland Department of Agriculture to enforce these requirements.

For more information:  http://www.mda.state.md.us/pdf/FertilizerLaw_Facts_final.pdf

A view from my window-courtesy of Gloria Hynes

A Gardening Column by Gloria Hynes.

Hi Neighbor!

Fall is here in all its glory!  The leaves are turning shades of gold, bronze and rust and pots of mums are planted intermittently throughout the garden. Crisp temperatures infuse us with great energy to ‘CLEAN THE GARDEN.’  So what does that mean?  Cut back leaves of plants that die off in the fall.  Rake leaves off the lawn and trim back and reshape plants that have become too large and invasive for the space.  This will save weeks of time in the Spring.  Leaves that are left on the lawn can create a moist environment that kills the grass and causes mold and moss on the lawn.

The Fourth Season: WINTER

Sometimes the best view of the winter garden is through the window toward the back yard bird feeder. Watching birds take advantage of the food and water you put out is a great way to spend the winter months. The red cardinals are territorial and loyal both to each other and to you.  The bright red male cardinals will sit in the trees and survey their territory.  The females are attracted to suet to build up extra fat and be ready to increase the family size in Spring.  Instead of mixed seed, offer black oil sunflower seeds.  They are packed with the fat and protein birds need to stay warm.  To discourage the squirrels from eating all of your seed, put baffles (metal or plastic collars) on the posts and place feeders at least 10 feet from structures or branches of tall trees.

Often harder to find than food, water, especially moving water, attracts birds of all kinds.  I have just seen a pump attached to a bamboo tube that can be anchored to a barrel or pail for under $40.00 that can be attractive and do the job well.

A view from my window-courtesy of Gloria Hynes

Leave the seed heads of Echinacea (purple cone flower)for the yellow finches to feast on. You can also break up these seed heads, plant in three inches of good soil and start new plants.

Tips on designing new garden plots

Observe your garden.  Note the shade/sun areas.  Don’t fight nature.  Pick the plants which are appropriate for the area.  The homes in Montpelier are terraced, sometimes resulting in water from one neighbor’s property draining down into your garden.  This can work to your advantage if you pick plants that are happy in damp ground.  Several come to mind:  Hibiscus, with flowers as big as dinner plates in white, pink and red;  Lobelia, with delicate red petals and will self seed; Lillies that bloom for several weeks in mid-summer; Cinnamon Fern; and Chelone with it’s swirls of satin pink buds. Trumpet vine attracts hummingbirds and Wisteria can give you the look of the old south.  Both can become gargantuan so keep their size in check. The more closely you base your decisions on meeting the needs of your plants (light requirements, hardiness, soil and moisture levels) and which plants look good together, the more successful your garden will be.

Pests in the garden

Voles, also known as field mice eat the roots of many plants.  If you are having that problem, cut the tunnels or tracks in the lawn with a knife and throw in smashed garlic.  Voles don’t like the smell.  If you can find THE MOLE PLANT, buy two or three and plant in the affected area and voles will pack up and leave.

Chipmunks.  These critters steal the bird seed and store it in various places, such as flexible pipe, down spouts, and garages. I spread moth balls around the garage, shed and into plastic pipe.

Courtesy of Gloria Hynes

Thanks for all your comments.  Questions?  E mail
gloriahynes@verizon.net  or check the Home and Garden Information Center website:  www.hgic.umd.edu web site for other timely tips.

 Gloria Hynes,

Master Gardener Prince Georges County