2011 Oct Newsletter
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Transcript of 2011 Oct Newsletter
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N O R M A N S N E W S
For and by our residents of the Norman Downes Neighborhood SeptemberOctober 2011
WERE PROUD OF OUR KWERE PROUD OF OUR KWERE PROUD OF OUR KIDS!IDS!IDS!
NDHA board highlights. 2
Qualifications.. 3
Lake Norman clean-up... 3
Yard of the month.... 4-5
Commitment sheet ..... 6
Adult survey 7
Childrens survey... 8
Inside this issue:
Parker Smith and friend, RobGiannini, rode nearly 2,800 miles in
the Tour Divide Bike Race and raisedover $4000 for the
Childrens Miracle Network!
Mary Elizabeth
King learned to
swim in our pool
when she was 3
years old. Her
summer league
coach thoughtshe was so good
by age 7, that she
was encouraged
to swim all year
round. That
coach, Margaret
Inspired by a movie, Georgia
graduate, Parker Smith decided
to invite his friend, Rob Giannini,
to ride in the Tour Divide Race
during his break before starting
medical school. This was a 2,745-
mile bicycle run from Banff, Can-ada, to a border station near An-
telope Wells, New Mexico. This
course criss-crosses the Continen-
tal Divide and totals about
120,000 feet of climbs and de-
scents. They finished in 17 days
and 22 hours raising over $4000
for the Childrens Miracle Net-
work!
They had to carry their bikes
over snow-covered mountainpasses. They faced over 100 de-
grees of desert heat and at one
point, actually faced down a
mountain lion! They rode from
sunup to sundown, averaging
about 120-150 miles a day, living
off high-carbohydrate junk food.
Starting in Canada on June 10,
Parker and Rob finished fourth
out of 86. And they have fulfilled
a dream of their own while help-
ing other children fulfill theirs!
If you would like to make a do-
nation to the Childrens Miracle
Network, please go to the web-
site at divideforchildren.com.
Parker Smith is the 23 year old
son of Jim and Peggy
Smith who reside on
Brookshire Way.
And just think....It all began inNorman Downes pool!
Way to goMary Elizabeth!
Gilbert, died of cancer in 2009. She was an
inspiration to Mary Elizabeth. We are certain
Margaret would be very proud ofMary Eliza-
beth qualifying for the upcoming Olympic
trial next summer!Even after climbing to the highest level of
competition at Swim Atlanta in Lawrenceville,
Mary Elizabeth never tires of her vigorous
practices that are 20-25 hours a week. She
attends St. Pius X where she will be graduat-
ing in May. She is already being recruited by
various coaches in the country including LSU,
Auburn, NC State, Nebraska, FSU, GA South-
ern, University Of Louisville and others.
She has received many awards over the
years, but qualifying for senior nationals thispast August, at Stanford University in Palo
Alto, CA, was a huge accomplishment! At
this event she competed against all the top
swimmers in the nation, qualifying to go to
the Olympic trials in Omaha, NE next June.
Mary Elizabeth is the daughter of Ray and
Michelle King of Kenwood Court. Best of
luck, Mary Elizabeth! We will all be cheering
for you!
NDHA BoardHighlights!
The ballot verification is nowcomplete. Our newly revisedcovenants are currently beingfiled. See whats next in the
Presidents Corner (page 2)
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SunSept 11Living HonorariumDuluth Festival CenterSat Oct 15Neighorhood Yard Sale 8AM - 4 PM
Fri Oct 14Mon, Oct 17Dumpster Available at the poolSat Oct 29Childrens Fall FestivalTennis Courts 6-8 PM
Mon Oct 31Neighborhood Trick or Treating
DONT FORGET!
Living Honorarium
Unveiling & 9/11
Remembrance Ceremony
Sunday, Sept 11, 20115:30 PM
Duluth Festival Center & Amphitheater3142 Hill Street, Duluth
The City of Duluth, HS, Primrose, AmericanLegion and Front Line Donors
Request your presence in a special tributeHonoring our living Public Servant Heroes
US MilitaryPoliceFire and EMS
We hope you can attend this moving ceremony!
www.duluth.net
N e w s F r o m t h e B o a r d
The Presidents Corner
Some of the toughest issues now are the enforcement of ourCovenants, and establishment of more complete CommunityStandards.
Beginning with the November General Meeting, our Stan-dards will be one of the headline topics.
The surveys that have circulated have produced many posi-tive responses and provided many great suggestions for on-going projects and improvements. And while were excited
to get down to business on those, here I want to address anequally important subject.
The comments about unsightly yards and other appear-
ance complaints in the surveys indicate that weve got
to do more than write letters to the owners that have
not kept up their end of the agreement.
This agreement is, of course, our covenants. Living in acovenants community requires that you pay attention to the
rules, take them seriously and follow them. Some who livein Norman Downes dont regard our covenants as an agree-
mentreally, a contract. Ill refer to our covenants for therest of this article as an agreement.
We are now talking about defining specific CommunityStandards. More than just keeping the grass cut, junk out ofthe yards, and not parking trailers and trucks on the streetor off of the driveway.
Is raising the level of our standards only making the situa-tion worse? I dont think this is adding fuel to the fire, when
you consider that the additional standards should includenot only the specific requirements adopted by all of us(the members) with our votes but hopefully includemethods to enforce them.
If we collectively agree to a specific requirement (a
standard), then all of us are required to comply, not just
some of us.
Heres an example. Say we vote to edge our street curbs and
clean up the drain gutters in front of our residences. Ifyou are a renter you would still be required to edge (cont.)
(The Presidents Corner cont.)
the curb and clean up the gutter, or make arrangementswith the property owner to have the curb edged.Certainly, a nicely edged curb folks walk or (and eventhe driveway), makes a neat and clean look when drivedown the street. Those curbs or driveways that are notedged seem less well-kept and the rest of the propertyseems to reflect that look.
The curb edging and gutter cleanup in this examplewould not be an unreasonable standard. As we pro-gress, I believe we will adopt common-sense standards nothing out of the ordinary, such as specific housecolors, although we couldagree that certain colors arenot permitted (lime green?). Hopefully our standards
will appeal to good taste, conform to timely and propermaintenance, and be ones thatadd to, rather than de-tract from our community property values.
So what should we do when people dont (or wont) in
this example, edge their curbs? This is a critical part ofthe equation. When we adopt our standards, we need toestablish what a grace period would be and what courseof action we should take when it is exceeded. Should wehave fines, letters, or liens? We have to decide. (cont. p. 5)
PAGE 2NORMANS NEWS
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NORMANS NEWS
Qualifications for NDHA Candidates
Must be a resident of Norman Downes in good
standing.
Able to attend a monthly board meeting, currently
the 2nd
Monday evening of the month from 7pm
9pm.
Willing to take responsibility for one of the follow-
ing committees,
development/dam
pool operations
general maintenance
landscape maintenance
tennis operations
communications/social
Have a keen interest in keeping Norman
Downes a quality community in which to
live. Have a desire to see and promote the
positive aspects of living in Norman Downes.
Keep the neighborhood informed.
Help to enforce the neighborhood by laws and
covenants by notifying residents of violations.
Support the activities of the neighborhood.
Lake Normangets a much needed clean up
by students fromPeachtree Ridge High School !
INCREASE YOUR HOMES
VALUE IN A DOWN ECONOMY
MOST EXPENSIVE REPAIRS
STARTED WITH NEGLECT TO
STANDARD HOME MAINTE-
NANCE. WE ARE AN IN-
SURED, LICENSED RESI-
DENTIAL CONTRACTOR. LET
US HELP YOU WITH ALL
YOUR MAJOR OR MINOR
REPAIRS.
3149 PERIMETER CIRCLE
BUFORD,GA 30519
CALL BRIAN MURRATH TODAY
TO SCHEDULE AN
APPOINTMENT
HANDYMAN
SERVICES
HOME REMODELINGDRYWALL REPAIRS
PAINTING
CONCRETE ADDITIONS
SIDING
REPLACEMENT WINDOWS
ROOFS
770-231-2460
HORIZON
BUILDERS,LLC
Many thanks to students(front row-right to left) TaylorHunter, Nick Hinger, Brittney Youngblood, Sebastian
Adrianzen and Michelle Connor from Peachtree RidgeHigh School.
Others who helped were Cher & Rick Austin, and Cheryl& Barry Smith and Amber Youngblood & dog, Pookie.
The drinks and lunch donations provided by CorwynnSylvester and Bobby & Teresa Rivers were appreciatedby all. Together, we made our lake beautiful again.
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NORMANS NEWS
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Fall and Winter Decorating Contest!
Get in the spirit of fun by decorating your yards for the those
who come who come trick or treating
and for the Winter holiday season.
There will be recognition via an award plaque for the best
holiday yards of the month!
NORMANS NEWS
Thanks to our judgesSue VanLanen, Cheryl Smith and Cher Austin.
Yard of the MonthJuly Winners
12819 Baronet CourtPeter and Gail Van Arsdale23183 Brookshire WayRobert and Patricia Harris
32654 Kenwood CourtWC and Margaret Baggett42732 Kenwood DriveJeff and Kelly Aldridge53292 Leeds WaySamuel and Lisa Carr
August Winners
63312 Lancing CourtChris and Nan Wilcox73231 Bunten RoadEvi Yike82594 Kenwood DriveArthur and Robin MacWilliams92752 Norwood WayThomas and Honorine Padula
9
(The Presidents Corner cont. from page 2)
A queue that we can take is from other neighborhoods withcommunity standards. We could adopt some of their ideasthat fit Norman Downes, including the procedures, policies,and penalties. Im sure the consensus is that we dont want
or need a management company.
The penalties aspect sounds kind of invasive and even
threatening. But you know as well as I, if there are no con-sequences, there will be those who take advantage. If Idont cut my grass, or leave trash in the yard, or do some-
thing else unsightly for a month, not only have I let down myneighbors and Norman Downes, but I should pay the conse-
quences! Maybe I have to put $50 in the kitty, and do thesame for every month that I dont take care of the problem,
or whatever penalty we decide is appropriate! Of coursethere are hardships and other exceptions, but goodneighbors could help out in those cases.
This is why we are forming our Standards Committee. These
rules and regulations need research, careful thought, andconsideration and respect for fixed-income residents and ofcourse, our votes to adopt them. These standards wouldnot be simply dictated by the Board. Further, our Stan-dards Committee should not be a one-shot deal, rather anon-going effort by conscientious members of our associa-tion.
The next time you have a complaint, think about how thecontext of that complaint could be incorporated into a pos-sible standard. Then consider being part of the process,and becoming a member of the Standards Committee.
It is in all of our best interests to pursue this with more
than a passing glance. Keeping our homes and yards good
looking and well maintained improves our appearance andappeal. And its infectious once we get started and make
the effort, our neighbors will want to follow along. And
short of tar-and-feathers, we should be able to apply pres-
sure to those that dont or wont bother to comply and may
have ignored the fact that by living in Norman
Downes, a Covenants Community, we have an
agreement! The next NDHA board
meeting is scheduled for Monday, September 12th at 7 PM.
Ladies Night at the pool.
We did have fun! Thirteen people came out and we got achance to talk and spend some time together while shopping.The vendors sold $1100 in clothes and jewelry - they had abeautiful spread of merchandise under the pavilion.
Thanks to all of the ladies who came out for theNorman Downes Ladies' Night At The Pavilion! Itwas fun socializing and catching up with everyonewhile shopping the gorgeous fashion and jewelrydisplays. By Janet Vastakis
Got Books? The Barnes Sunday SchoolClass of Duluth First United Methodist Church
will be conducting the annual Book Sale at the
Duluth Festival this year. We are looking for
new or gently used books of all types. Peri-
odicals, educational, childrens books, nov-
els, magazines, hobby, travel, how-to/self-
help , religious, joke books,,,, you name it,
we have an audience for it.
Contact Sonny Baggett fordrop off or pick up!
(770) 623-1023
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NORMANS NEWS P
SS
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Name: __________________________________________ Phone:__________________________________________
Email Address:________________________________________________________________________________________
I am interested in being a NDHA Board Member. (Please find the list of candidate qualifications on page 4.)
I am interested in being a member of one of the following committees:
Tennis Operations General Maintenance
Pool Operations Communications Lake Conservation Development Landscape
I am interested in helping with the following childrens activities:
Easter Egg Hunt July 4 parade/family swim and picnic I will be an organizerfor...
Childrens Fall Festival 10/29/11 Back to School Pizza Party ________________________
I am interested in helping with the following adult activities:
Spring Garage Sale Fall Garage Sale10/15/11 I will be an organizerfor...
Adult socials Winter holiday party ________________________
Thanks for your support!
ATTENTION PARENTS!!
A white truck
plate #BQZ
4113 has been
seen in Sugar-
loaf Country
Club stopping
children as they get off the bus
(both middle school & elemen-
tary) and offering them candy.
The man is a white male, 20 or
30 years old, blonde crew cut.
The police have been notified
and are keeping a watch out for
him.
We need to be extra vigilant
with our children and possi-
ble have a reminder conver-
sation about the dangers of
talking to strangers.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -(Please help by filling in and returning the tear-off sheet below. Just drop in one of the suggestion boxes.)- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Were crying out for your help!
Its a sad fact that..
mostof the activities and improvements for Norman
Downes are organized and worked on by less than a dozen
people.
a lotcould be done to improve our community without
raising our dues.
What we lack is you helping to make it happen.
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201120112011---2012 Norman Downes Adult Survey2012 Norman Downes Adult Survey2012 Norman Downes Adult Survey Let Us Hear FromLet Us Hear FromLet Us Hear From YouYouYou!!!
1. What social activities would you be interested in if they were offered in our community?(Check all that you would like to be involved in.)
Garden club Lake conservation group Bridge club Gourmet club Craft or sewing group Poker club
Mixed social tennis Running club Walking club
Adult quarterly party night
Adult quarterly Outings
Other suggestions? ________________________________________________________
2. We have recently resurfaced the tennis court and refurbished the swimming pool and
renovated the street signs. Which of the following proposed improvements are you in favor of?
__ yes or no Fencing to secure the borders of our property by the lake and tennis courts.
__ yes or no Permanent restrooms near the tennis court.
__ yes or no Lake Norman community access including a walking trail, picnic pavilion, and
community boat/fishing dock
__ yes or no Build a newplayground with bike racks and a basketball hoop shot area added.(Note that the previous playground equipment was demolished as it had become unsafe.)
__ yes or no Update and make our entrance signs larger.
__ yes or no Establish a community vegetable and flower garden.
3. List any additional ideas you may have for community improvement.
4. What do you like best about living in Norman Downes?
5. What is something you would like to change?
Thank you for your response! Please deposit this survey in one of the suggestion boxes by as possible.
NORMANS NEWS
Do not fill out if you have already sent in a your survey!
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NORMANS NEWS
2011-2012 Norman Downes Kids SurveyParents please help if your child is too young.Children may color also!
How many years old are you? ____
Are you a girl or a boy? (Circle one.)
Which events are you planning on attending? (Circle one below.)
Easter Egg hunt? swimming pool? July 4 parade/picnic? childrens fall festival?
What activities would you like to have? (Circle one below.)
gardening? fishing? picnicking? playing tennis? boating?
What kind of play equipment do you like? (Circle one below.)
basketball? swings? slide? climbing bars?
What do you like best about living in Norman Downes? (Write or make a picture.)
Do you have any comments/suggestions?
Please put your survey in one of the suggestion boxes. Thank you!