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A NEWSLETTER FOR THE SPRINGMILL COMMUNITY JANUARY, 2015Volume XIII Issue 1

Sentinel IndexHappy New Year/Gary Merrick Appointed to BOD….……. Pg. 1Tree Plan Public Meeting……………...…..…………..….….. Pg. 1Committee Reports.….………..………….…….…….…... Pg. 3, 7Notes From Your Board/Activities Group……..………... Pg. 5Board Motions/Club and Group Reports ……..….….….. Pg. 5The Book Page ………………………..…….……….…….….. Pg. 9

Advertiser Spotlight-Fromage………….….…….….……... Pg. 11 Middletown News…………………………………….………… Pg. 11 Thanksgiving in New York City……. ………….…………… Pg. 13

Holiday Events Pictures. …….……………………………. Pg. 14Thanksgiving Dinner/Festive Home Pictures …..……… Pg. 15Dining Out - Schaefer’s/Recipes for Super Bowl……….. Pg. 17Library Programs …………………………………….….…. . Pg. 19Living Green/Solar Installation.….………………………… Pg. 21Driveway/Apron Repair ……………….…………………… Pg. 21Meet Your Neighbor/The Latskos ……….…………….… Pg. 23Dutch Apple Theatre/To Your Health ………….………….. Pg. 25Computer Tutor ……………………………………………….. Pg. 26

Gary Merrick Appointed to BoardThe BOD met on December 3, and decided to appoint GaryMerrick to fill the vacant Director position for the unexpired term ofJim Merrill. Gary has served as a member of the FinanceCommittee and initiated the effort to have the monthly dance social.

During his career, Gary was a mathteacher, who served for 38 yearsteaching a variety of subjects within themath discipline. He also served as theelected auditor for Columbia Townshipin Bradford County, PA. He served asDistrict Manager for the Franklin LifeInsurance Co. for three years. He willbring all of this experience to the BOD.

I speak for the entire Board when I say toGary "Welcome Aboard" and we look forward to working with you.

Carl Rifino, President

Happy New Year, Springmill!January 1, 2015, is the first blank page of a 365 page book.When you start writing this year’s story, start withanticipation. To get you started, I found three inspirations.

C.S. Lewis said, “You are never too old to set another goal ordream another dream.” Here in Springmill, I see residents tryingsomething new all the time, so we’re right on track there.

Sri Sathya Baba tells us, “Life is a challenge, meet it. Life is adream, realize it. Life is a game, play it. Life is love, enjoy it.” Atour age, we certainly understand about life’s challenges, but wealso know how to play. With all the fifty and sixty-year-longmarriages, we definitely have the love part down. And dreams docome true…I recently fulfilled one of mine by celebrating a familyThanksgiving in New York City.

Neil Gaiman had the best suggestion for the coming year. “Ihope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because ifyou are making mistakes, then you are making new things, tryingnew things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself,and changing the world. You’ve done things you’ve never donebefore…but most importantly, you’re DOING SOMETHING.

So, that’s my wish for you, and for all of us. Make newmistakes. Make glorious, amazing mistakes. Make mistakesnobody’s ever made before. Don’t freeze, don’t stop, anddon’t worry it’s not good enough, or it isn’t perfect, whatever itis: art or love, or work, or family or life. Whatever it is you’rescared of doing. Do It.”

Happy New Year, and may you make lots of mistakes. I betthey will make for some VERY interesting reading.

June Stemmle

New Street Tree Plan ProposedOn December 16 the Board of Directors met with about 100residents to discuss a new approach to handling the streettree situation.

Last January there was a vote to modify the bylaws by addinga provision which gave the Community Association aneasement onto homeowners’ properties to plant trees thatwould replace street trees that were removed because theywere unhealthy or were causing a tripping hazard. Therequired 67% vote was not achieved and the easementnarrowly failed. Based upon the results of that vote, the“Street Tree” replacement plan was temporarily suspended.Only trees that caused a tripping hazard were removed as amatter of community safety.

The current Board, with four new members, made the treeissue a priority, and working with theAssociation attorney, came up with anapproach that eliminated the need for aneasement. Marc Lichtenfield presented thenew approach, which treats trees that areplanted on the front or side of ahomeowner’s property just as it treatsshrubs and grass. The Association willplant and maintain those trees (pruning,fertilizing, mulching, etc.). The treebecomes the property of the homeowner.This approach seems to resolve most of the conflicts that the“Easement” (Street Trees Continued on page 26)

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Lauri Richardson

Tel (302) 379-9984Fax (302) 368-1060200 N. Dilwyn Rd.Newark, DE 19711Lauriscleaning1@verizon.net

Residential / Office Cleaning

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Springmill Homeowners Association801 Windmilll Lane * 376•5466

Board of Directors Carl Rifino - President

Marc Lichtenfield - Vice PresidentGlenda Schneiderman - Secretary Jim Merrill, John Rutt - Directors

Kathy Kobus - Treasurer Joan Gross: Board Recording Secretary

Tracey Lund: Community Manager:Tracey.Lund@mamc.com

Charity Committee: Maria CorvinoClubhouse Committee: Phyllis LichtenfieldCommunications Committee: Dick Rausch

Community Events: Beverly Strong/Peggy AndrewsFinance Committee: Larry Daigle

Maintenance & Repair Committee: Bill Alt (Dec.)Property Committee: Carolyn Bodden

Anyone wishing to join a Committee should contact theChairperson of that Committee.

Please note: All committee meetings and activities usingthe Clubhouse must be coordinated with Tracey Lund.

Calendar: Tracey LundFamily Emergency Numbers: Pat Howe, JoAnn Stump

Sunshine: Mary Elizabeth Rhoads / Faith Altman

Committee Reports

Charity CommitteeA thank you from Sandy, MOT Coordinator, for Springmill’sDecember contributions:

Dear Maria,

Please thank your community for all the wonderful food andother products delivered in December. The timing isbeautiful to have a full pantry just before Christmas.

It is great to know we can count on you for your quarterlycontribution. The cans of cookies and candy canes will beadded to Adopt -A -Senior bags. Thank you.

Sandy

Maintenance and Repair CommitteeThe MRC held its meeting on December 11, 2014. Someof the issues we discussed were the BOD'srecommendation that we not replace the veranda railings,but to repair them which we will look at in 2015.

Some residents have complained that the two decorativelights by the flagpoles have been out. We had anelectrician look into the problem and it seems that we havea short under the concrete. We asked to have a bid put outto fix the problem. We at the MRC will keep you advised.

Our next meeting is on January 8th at 7: 00 p.m. in thecraft room. Fred Bodden will be chairperson for January.New members and old members are always welcome.

Bill Altman, Chairperson for December

Julie Hambrecht gave her first report as Business Manager.There will be 45 advertisers in the December Sentinel issue.All Advertisers for the 2015 Directory have submitted contractsand payment. There has been a good response to Directoryupdates and over 270 residents have submitted theirinformation to date. Thanks for Julie’s hard work in gettingresidents to submit updated information.

Joan Gross provided an overview of the editorial content ofthe January Sentinel.

There are over 30 people signed up for the Amazon tour onJanuary 15 at 1:00 p.m.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:30 p.m. at which time thefirst annual Holiday Party was held. All members brought anitem to eat or drink and agood time was had by all.

The next meeting will be heldon Tuesday, January 13,2015 at 7:00 p.m. in theClubhouse Craft Room.

Dick Rausch

Communications CommitteeThe December meeting was held on the 9th. Fifteen committeemembers attended the meeting. Joe Grippo was a special guest.Glenda Schneiderman, BOD Liaison, was in attendance.

The minutes for the November meeting were approved as submitted.

This was the last meeting for Phyllis Torgersen, who hasbeen in charge of distribution for about 10 years and BertDekker, customer service for the past 3 years. The entireCommittee thanked them for their service.

Diane Daigle presented the Treasurer's Report. Sixadvertisers renewed their contracts in the past month.Twelve 2015 Directory advertisers also submitted theircontracts. Revenue for the month was the highest for theyear and annual goal was achieved.

Finance CommitteeFinance Committee wants to wish everyone a Happy NewYear “2015”. Our committee had a special meeting onDecember 17 to go over the findings of a sub-committeethat had been working on coming up with a couple ofcompanies that would and could provide our communitywith an Engineering Study to review our reserve statusversus the longevity of our assets. The Finance Committeevoted to send forth our recommendations to the Board. Itwill be up to the Board to weigh each proposal and decidewhat the next step will be.

Our next meeting will take place on January 21, 2015 foranyone interested in attending.

Larry Daigle

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Community Reports

Clubhouse CommitteeHAPPY NEW YEAR! The Clubhouse Committee held theirmeeting on December 11, 2014. A motion to repealrotating Secretary from last month’s meeting was approvedby the committee. Stan Heer volunteered to be Secretaryand his nomination was approved. Carl Rifino attended asthe BOD liason.

The purchase of protective covers for patio tables & chairs wasapproved at a cost of $690.00. At the time of this reading theyhave already been put in place over the tables for the winter.

As you may or may not be aware, the carpet in the GreatRoom is rippling and has become loose in some areas.Immediate action has been taken. Both the installer and arepresentative from the flooring company have inspected itand we are now waiting to hear of their resolution. Beassured, that you will be kept informed as to how this issuewill be settled, and when.

Our thanks to the BOD for gracing the countertop in theClubhouse Kitchen or Craft room (TBD) with a CommercialKeurig K-Cup Brewing System. You can now brew coffee,tea, hot cocoa or iced breverage in under one minute. Thisfully programmable brewer is equipped with a direct water-line, which eliminates the need to fill with water whenbrewing. It accommodates 5 brew sizes: 4oz, 6oz, 8oz, 10and 12oz. K-cups. Care and clean-up instructions will beposted near the machine. Sugar & creamers will beprovided, but unfortunately, K-cups are not, and you areasked to bring your own along with your mug or cup. Weexpect installation to be early January, at which time youwill have the opportunity to preview on how to use, if youwish. I will come up with a date and advise.Our first meeting of the new year will be on January 8th at10:00 AM in the Craft room. Newcomers are welcome.

Phyllis Lichtenfield

Notes From Your BoardAs you read this, the hustle and bustle of the Hanukkah,Christmas and New Year holidays are over and life isgetting back to “normal,” whatever that is. Here we are in2015 already; my how time flies, as you get older.Remember when the country was in a near panic modeanticipating computer crashes as the 2000 New Yearstruck? Not even a hiccup.

Since the new Board first met on October 1, we have had anumber of items on the agenda that required our attentionand took up a considerable amount of time: the 2015budget, the tree/sidewalks project and quite suddenly,having to select someone to serve the remaining term of amember who resigned. I am sure that you now know thereare four new members on the Board of Directors forSpringmill. Please welcome Gary Merrick to the Board.

The most important issue that this new Board hasaddressed is the tree project, in particular, addressing thestreet tree issue. We have had two community meetings toobtain input from the residents. We then discussed theresidents’ concerns with the attorney and have madestrides in moving this issue forward. You have all receiveda ballot in the mail which, with a 67% positive response, willallow the Board to request the homeowners permission toplant a tree in select front yards in accordance with thearborist’s streetscape plan to replace street trees that mustbe removed due to disease or because the roots are liftingthe sidewalks. Our arborist, John Hosbach, has developedthe tree plan for the community which will provide for adiversity of aesthetic value throughout the growing season.Please consider this as you mark your ballots and returnthe executed ballots to Tracey by January 16, 2015.

It has been an extremely busy learning curve for the newmembers, and we thank you for your patience. This Boardhas unprecedented expertise that will be most beneficial tothe community. On behalf of the Springmill Board ofDirectors, I wish you all an enjoyable, safe, healthy andHappy New Year.

John Rutt

Activity GroupMovie attendance has fallen off therefore we will haveMovie Night only on the 2nd Wednesday of the month. Wehave chosen a classic, “Gone with the Wind”, for January.Movies will be posted in the Sentinel calendar. Wewelcome any suggestions for upcoming movie nights.

The Second Birthday Celebration will take place on Friday,February 13th. All are invited. Please check the insert inthis issue of the Sentinel and return cutoff by February 5thso we will have an approximate count to order the cake.

Coffee Hour continues to be a happy gathering of funloving people. For a change, on January 24th we will beserving homemade soups and bread along with our neverending cup of coffee. We will be charging $2.00 to coverour costs.

Our activity group meets the first Tuesday of the month at10:00 am in the craft room.

Ann Marie Burns and Claudia Garrett

Recent Board Motions● Motion approved (5-0) for BOD to purchase and

provide dry creamer and sugar for the K-cup coffeemachine in the Clubhouse for the 1st year.

● Motion approved ( 4-1) to accept the ClubhouseCommittee’s decor proposal, as submitted.(Lichtenfield, Schneiderman, Rutt, Merrick: in favor/Rifino: opposed)

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Community ReportsProperty Committee

Reminder to be cautious where holiday lights are placed nearlawn edges. DO NOT put too close to edge of driveway orpath to your house/porch area as they may interfere with snowremoval. We cannot hold the landscape company liable fordamage to any light strings that may become an obstacle.

We will use our e-mail lists to keep you updated on snowremoval progress. If you have a neighbor with no computeraccess, we appreciate your letting them know what ishappening.

Enclosed in this issue is an update on the Tree RenovationProject for 2014 that will provide a brief summary of the workthat has been done.

We will be meeting during the day at 1 p.m. on the secondMonday of the month during the winter. If you are interestedin joining us on the committee, we have room and wouldwelcome your assistance. Hole digging is not required ......STAY WARM AND KEEP SAFE.

Carolyn Bodden

Tree Progress Update for 2014We have made a promising start to our tree renovation programin the Springmill Community. Outlined in this report is asummary of the work accomplished, along with a finalevaluation submitted by the consulting arborist, John Hosbach.

This July the Ward Tree Company began pruning (or rootexcavations in some instances) of some 62 trees in thecommon area that did not need removal. With proper attention,it is hoped that these trees will be better able to survive andflourish. . At the completion of this tree work by Ward, Mr.Hosbach evaluated the results and reported his completesatisfaction with the implementation of his specifications.

This past fall The Forever Green Landscaping Company hasremoved dead trees and replanted about 72 new trees. OnDecember 10th of this year, Mr. Hosbach made a final inspectionof these new additions. He was joined by a representative fromForever Green, a Property Committee member, and somemembers of the Springmill Board of Directors.

All the work done by these two companies was according tothe specifications of the arborist, John Hosbach. Theinspection report contained his criteria for review which were1. species selection; 2. Structure; 3. Viability; 4. plantingpractices; 5. soil mitigation; and 6. live crown ratio.

Mr. Hosbach commented that “the plant stock quality is the best Ihave seen all season and I want to thank Josh for the qualitypurchase”. A note was added that 5 trees were planted a littlehigh and 4 trees had excessive soil/mulch. Correction of the treeplantings can wait until spring as the tree roots are dormant. Soilor mulch removal can be done anytime. In addition, the two-yearwarranty for replanted trees starts after their replanting.

Mr. Hosbach also included some arboricultural management

suggestions as to dead trees and recommendation to prunedeadwood from the pine trees.

The dead, diseased or sidewalk-lifting trees removed on thestreet side have been sodded. Thanks to all who wateredthese areas as the majority of the newly sodded areas lookhealthy.

The new year of 2015 will get even better...............

Carolyn Bodden, Property Committee Chairman

Community Events CommitteeHope every one enjoyed their Holidays’ I know from the manycalls and e-mails I received the Trim The Tree party wasgreatly appreciated by all of the residents who attended. Thefood was delicious, the deserts plenty full and along with theeggnog, and wine everyone soon got into the sprit!! We wereentertained by the Vocal Exchange a group of cappellasingers that were just magnificent and of course Santa paid usa visit. What a wonderful way to start of the Holiday Seasonhere at Springmill!!!

This article was written before the New Years Party but I amconfident it was success.

Now on to 2015January 16- “BINGO” Flyer in SentinelJanuary 24- “COVERED DISH” Flyer in SentinelFebruary 21- “CHINESE NEW YEAR”MARCH -14 “PATTY’S PUB/ WITH IRISH DANCERS”

The CEC meets the first Wednesday of the month at 9:30 a.m.in the Clubhouse. Our next meeting will be on January 7,2015. Please join us as we continue to plan events for thecoming year.Peggy Andrews

Be Careful During Snow SeasonLet’s hope for very little snow this winter. If we do have snow,Forever Green is very efficient in clearing driveways and walksquickly. But some of us like to get out and help with theclearing process or want to take care of our properties for thesnowfalls that are too small for Forever Green to take care of.

If you must shovel, take it easy. Take breaks often. Whereverpossible, push the snow rather than lift it.Most importantly, listen to your body. Head inside if youexperience potential signs of heart trouble, including chestpain, palpitations, shortness of breath, fatigue, light-headedness, or nausea.

Heart issues aren’t the only things that can go wrong. Olderadults tend to have more health problems such as balance issuesas well as heart conditions. Flexibility decreases with age, so theability to lift and twist may be affected. Plus, heart attacks occurfrom overexertion and are more common in the older adult.

For seniors who decide to shovel snow, here are some tips tohelp you stay healthy during shoveling season:

* Begin with a five- to 10-minute warm up. Take a brief walkor march in place. Add arm movements and stretching your

Be Careful (Continued on page 25)

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Natchez Burning by Greg Iles

Natchez Burning is the first of an epic trilogy combining bothhistory and mystery. It is a story that weaves crimes, lies andsecrets, past and present, which will mesmerize the reader.

Penn Cage is a mayor and a formerprosecutor. His father, a respectedphysician, who has taught him all heknows of honor and duty, is accused ofmurdering his former nurse, a blackwoman who recently returned toMississippi after a 40-year hiatus. Thataccusation is the impetus for Penn’squest to exonerate his father.

The book begins in the 60s and skips ahead 40 years. Itdepicts the brutality of a group of men called the DoubleEagles. They are an offshoot of the KKK. It covers murdersand mayhem that took place during the sixties in Mississippi.Penn Cage joins forces with a dedicated reporter who is privyto Natchez’s oldest secrets. Also aiding is his fiancée, CaitlinMasters. From what he learns, Penn is forced to make achoice: Does he choose his father or the truth?

Greg Iles has always been a favorite author of mine, but inthis novel he proves to be much more than just a mysterywriter. Despite its length of 788 pages, Natchez Burning isa hard book to put down and proved to be a quick read.Janet Geftman

The Book page

Book Club Choices For JanuaryBook Club I (Deb Kupper/1st Wed) “Our group will beenjoying dinner and a movie . . recuperating from the holidays”.Book Club II (Mary-Elizabeth Rhoads/4th Tues.) Ourgroup will be reviewing What I Know for Sure, by OprahWinfrey. (It’s available for free on Tuebl.)Book Club III (Lydia Olson/3rd Mon.) Our book club’sselection for January is Someone by Alice McDermott.Book Club IV (Mary Jo Starrett/1st Wed.) We will bediscussing Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty.Book Club V (Joan Gross/3rd Tues.) When we meet, we willbe starting the year with The Widow’s War by Sally Gunning.See picture on Page 14.June Stemmle

distinguished literary background and his understanding oftort law and civil jurisprudence, schools us in theunderbelly of the legal system, where money really is themotivator for many lawyers.

As David learns about law beyond the cubicle and has atrial by fire in the courtroom, we take the journey with him,and learn how much is involved in researching productliability cases…time, money and just plain luck. David’scompassion for those less fortunate…people just seekingthe lucky break or justice that has eluded them…has yourooting for him from start to finish.

There’s humor here too in the presence of Finley, Figg,and their patient secretary, Rochelle. These “ambulancechasers,” who have spent their lives hustling injury cases,have some unique clients and an unusual take on what islegal. Their personal lives add another layer to the plot.

Truth can be stranger than fiction. The truth about the lawand its litigators create fiction that is as interesting as it isilluminating. If you were a fan of Perry Mason or are a fanof The Good Wife, this might be the book for you.June Stemmle

The Litigators by John Grisham

Headlines: Doctors receiving money from bigpharmaceutical companies…phone companies refusing toinstall kill switches…lead in children’s toys…defectivecars. While companies aren’t always the “bad guys” andplaintiffs aren’t always in the right, greed seems to be alure for litigation these days.

Here’s something you may not knowabout me. During my college years, Iwas a legal secretary during summervacation. Most of the work was repetitiveand boring…except the days when Iactually got to go to court, which is whythis novel’s focus appealed to me.

The main character, thirty-one-year-oldDavid Zinc, spent a good time afterHarvard Law School tucked in a windowless cubicle at aprestigious law firm…until one day he “cracked,” left it allin a manic moment, and ended up working at Finley andFigg, the antithesis of his previous firm. But, he was free,he was happy, he had a life…and, he had a window.

But all that is just a quick back story. The essence of thisplot is the journey David takes as he finds his passion inthe legal field, defending the disenfranchised in productliability. Along the way, Mr. Grisham, with his

A Big Thank YouThe staff of the Annual Springmill Directory 2015 would like tothank all the residents who graciously complied with ourrequest to resubmit and add to the previous Directoryinformation by completing our form. We know that it was aninconvenience and seemed to be unnecessary, but you wouldbe surprised at how many small inaccuracies we uncovered.

We now have a truly accurate listing of our residents as of Dec.10, 2014, and you will see that many email addresses and cellphone numbers have been added. Who would have thought ofsuch a thing 11 years ago when many of us moved in?

Julia Hambrecht deserves acknowledgement for hertenacious prodding of all of us to complete our forms. Shewas like a mother hen cluck, cluck, clucking at her reluctantchicks! By the way, if you do detect an error (heaven forbid!)or wish to change any information in the new Directory,please contact Julia by email or a note in her mailbox.

Mary Jo Starrett

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SPRINGMILL RESIDENT SPECIALS

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Town MeetingRecently, the Middletown PoliceDepartment received full accreditationfrom the Commission on Accreditation forLaw Enforcement Agencies even thoughit is a young organization. Both the Mayorand Police Chief Dan Yeager requestedto be accredited by the Commission onAccreditation for Law EnforcementAgencies (CALEA). They traveled toAlbuquerque, New Mexico, along with Lt. William Texter,who answered all questions concerning the departmentand the daily operating procedures. This process wasdemanding, but the end result was that Middletown PoliceDept. met all the requirements and was granted thisaccreditation. It is noted that only one percent of policedepartments in the nation receive this prestigiousaccreditation. This accreditation will continue for threeyears while being reviewed every year. The Mayor andPolice Chief were very pleased to receive this award whichis considered a milestone for the town.

Tracy Skrobot, Middletown Program Manager, spoke aboutthe lamppole contest and asked residents to place theirvote for the best one.

A new ordinance “Clean Hands” was passed at the meetingwhereby all debts must be satisfied to the town beforereceiving a new permit or license. This includes backtaxes, utility expenses, property or transfer taxes ormiscellaneous charges and fees.

Sonya Comstock

Fromage, A Cheese Boutique10 West Main Street, Middletown, DE 19709

(302) 463-5157Chris Pride opened a gourmet cheese shop in September 2011and has been more thanpleased with the receptionreceived from all hiscustomers. The location by thefour corners came about quitecasually as he was visitingSully’s one day and noticed theempty store adjacent to thepub. It seemed like the ideallocation for his business, andhe was so right. What he hasto offer no other shop within 40-50 miles has. His customerscome primarily from Middletown but also from the surroundingareas of Dover, Bear and further up and down the highway.In addition to gourmet cheeses, he fills in with crackers, fondue,jams, jellies, Balsamic products and more - all welcomed bycustomers who appreciate fine cheese and the extra touches.

His location and products gave him the title of Best of Delawarefor his store in Delaware Today magazine, and he also wonaccolades in the Dover Post Reader’s Choice.

The long hours of coming in at 5 a.m. and working until 6 p.m. donot discourage him. This is necessary on delivery days. Whileattending Villanova University many years ago, a professor toldhim “Do what you love, and you will never work a day in your life”and Chris says it is so true. Being half Italian, he has alwaysloved cheeses and now being able to work with this product hasproven to be ideally suited to him. In the beginning, he thought itwould take about five years to really become established as agourmet shop, but it has happened in less than four years.A favorite cheese of patrons is Cheddar followed by FrenchTriple Cream. However, he offers a variety of unusual cheeses,and patrons are willing to test their palate on something new.

He lives in Middletown and sees the progress of Main Streetwith its many small businesses and all being patronized well.He credits the continuing success to folks shopping locally first.

On the outside of his shop is a beautiful mural painted byMarilyn Bast. It was done digitally and then sent to MeganHarnes of Middletown Inc., who transposed the mural onto theoutside wall tweaking it in spots and even adding his logo. Hesaid the results are extraordinary and adds the artistic talent ofMegan Harnes is remarkable as she worked with the muraluntil he was completely satisfied. Many customers commenton this mural as it adds charm to the shop.

Fromage (cheese in French) is open seven days a week.Hours: Tues/Wed – Noon-6 p.m.; Thurs. 11-6; Fri/Sat. 10-6p.m.; Sun/Mon. 12-4 p.m. He says his busiest day isSaturday, but he is busy the other days and for now willcontinue to be open seven days a week.Sonya Comstock

Advertiser’sSpotlight

Middletown News

Sonya Comstock

Amazon Fulfillment Center TourAs a reminder, for those who signed up, the second SpringmillTour of the Amazon Fulfillment Center is scheduled for January15, 2015, at 1:00 p.m. The address is 560 Merrimac Avenue(across Rte. 301 from Wal-Mart. There will be parking in the frontof the building marked off by orange cones. You will enter throughthe main entrance. Please note that the main entrance is locatedto the right of the entrance with flags. We will meet at the mainentrance. Attendees can drive themselves or arrange to carpoolwith other residents.

The tour is not handicapped accessible and there will be stairs tonegotiate. Other tips for the tour are:You may bring your keys, your wallet and your cell phone on thetour. Please leave all other personal items at home or in your car,including bags, purses, briefcases, backpacks, and pocketbooks.No cameras or other video equipment are allowed on the tour,although you may bring your cell phone so long as you do not use itto take pictures or videos.  IMPORTANT: All guests must wear flat,closed-toe and closed-heel shoes (No sandals or high heels). Werecommend wearing comfortable shoes/sneakers.Please stay with your tour guide, remain within the designatedwalkways or areas, refrain from touching any equipment ormachinery, and follow the instructions of the tour guide at all times.The tour will last about an hour.

Dick Rausch

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It may be January, but it’s not too soon to start planning afamily Thanksgiving Weekend in New York City. When Idecided to follow a dream of mine…to see the ThanksgivingDay parade “live,” my research for the perfect hotel,restaurants, and sights, started with the New Year.

We were lucky enough to have a friend working for Marriott,who made suggestions regarding the perfect room and floorswith a view. AAA’s tour book, and a website calledwww.mommypoppins.com, provided lots of basic informationand tips. There are also LOTS of NYC apps that can bedownloaded for free. I also elicited suggestions from theneighbors/residents that were frequent visitors. Here’s whatwe did and learned in our four memorable days in New York.AND, I purchased travel insurance. Once holiday rooms arebooked, there are NO refunds after August 1, and this time ofyear weather and family illness become part of the equation.

First, the city is pricey, so get ready for sticker shock,especially if you’re paying for the family fun.

Second, the hotel location is primary. We stayed at the HeraldSquare Marriott, right across from Macy’s. We had a cornerroom on the 10th floor (The 8th or 9th floor would be fine too.),with great views out of the two side windows of the paradecoming down the street, and the two front windows to see theacts performing across the street. It was a chilly day with asprinkle of snow, so it was nice to be able to stand outside thehotel’s entrance to watch, and yet be able to come inside towarm up…needed your hotel key to get back into the hotel.

Third, get to know the staff at the reception desk and thehousekeeper, and definitely the bell captain, who was the mostimportant person to know when taxis or vans were needed toget around the city. (Taxis were actually easier, safer, andcheaper than using the bus or subway.) I had e-mail chats withthe hotel’s manager during the planning stage and made sure Imet him when we arrived. I made sure to tip the housekeeperthe first two days and the bell captain on the second day. Ohyes, and bring ear plugs…more about that later.

Our TripSeven of us were traveling; two children, ages 3 and 7, twograndmas, and my daughter and son-in-law. While not theleast expensive way to plan, but the easiest with a group, wasto have a shuttle pick us up and take us to the WilmingtonTrain Station for a 9:00 train ride into the city. Acela was a bitfaster, but the regional was less expensive. We did reserveBusiness Class…less crowded, tables for the children towork on, and a free beverage in the café car. USE the RedCaps at both ends of the trip. They will get you on first andcan call ahead to make sure someone looks for you and mayeven be able to arrange hotel transportation when you arrive.There is an elevator in the Wilmington Station…with lots ofbags and a troop of people, it was helpful.

If you get a taxi on arrival, get in and then tell them whereyou want to go. Most don’t want to just take you to a hotel orthe station if it’s close. Matt, the hotel manager with whom Ihad been “chatting,” had offered suggestions as to thenumber, kind, and location of rooms to best fit our needs andexpectations. He also arranged to have at least one roomready early, since Ryan would be due for a nap soon after our

12:00 arrival. The luggage was stored in the lobby area untilboth rooms were ready. We chose one Parade View roomand one King Guest room. Both had refrigerators (Amicrowave was in the lobby snack area) and pull-out sofabeds. During the trip the two young’uns played musicalbeds; staying in one room or kind of bed each night.

Day 1 Lunch or linner, since it was around 2:00 before wegot around to it, was at Macy’s Italian Restaurant, Stella 34,on the 6th floor. It has eat-in, or take-out. Everything isfresh and the bonus is fantastic views of the city and theEmpire State Building. It also gave us a chance to scope outSanta Land before we visited. On our way back to the hotel,we visited Mike, and arranged for a van to take us to theBalloon Inflation at Central Park that evening. The vantook us, waited a half hour and then returned us to thehotel. This was helpful, since parking was difficult to findand Mom-Mom is unable to walk distances, so she stayedwith the driver, while we walked a few blocks to the park. Ifyou arrive between 6 and 7:00, most of the balloons areinflated…great picture opportunities. On the way back wehad a tour of the city…all lit up for the holidays. Bedtime hada surprise. It seems the bands, in full uniform, practicefrom 3:00- 5:00 am. The children slept right through it,Susie went down to take pictures, and I was happy that thehotel staff had provided earplugs for everyone. I hadbrought the ones I use for swimming, as Matt had shared theband info with me during one of those chats.

Day 2 Thanksgiving…and the parade from 9:00 to 12:00.Breakfast most mornings was at the hotel’s Starbucks, orpicked up at the Duane & Reade around the corner. Duringthe parade, we took advantage of ALL our views, thedownstairs access, and the large HD flat screen TV.Because the parade starts in Central Park and ends acrossfrom Macy’s, we used the TV to see what was coming ourway. The hotel had free Wi-Fi, so we did a holiday Skypeon our i-pads with our Missouri family. We hadn’t madelunch reservations, figuring with all the NYC restaurants,we wouldn’t starve. As it turned out, we went to thePlaywright Restaurant, just 2 blocks from the hotel andhad a lovely and complete Thanksgiving dinner. Therestaurant was all decked out for the holidays, and we evenmade friends with a family at the next table, who werevisiting from Indiana. It wasn’t crowded, and the staff madeus feel very welcome. Ryan literally fell asleep in hisdinner. We let him nap on the bench seat, enjoyed a quietlunch, and then tucked him in the stroller and let him finishsleeping at the hotel. Having checked out what was openon Thanksgiving, we decided to take Brett to the CentralPark Zoo. It’s a manageable size, the landscaping isbeautiful, and the seals put on quite a performance. A taxiride from the hotel was only $5.00. That evening, Susieand I walked to Radio City to pick up tickets for the nextday’s show. Coming back we enjoyed the holidayboutiques set up in Bryant Park and took pictures of all thedecorations along the way.

Day 3 Today was centered around Christmas. After anearly breakfast, we visited Macy’s Santa before going toour 10:00 show at Radio City Music Hall (The DVD of theshow is a best buy souvenir at (Continued on page 26)

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A beautiful sunny but cold day welcomed everyone to theannual party. Tables were decorated for the holiday, andan abundance of goodies were seen on many tables.Friends and neighbors enjoyed each other’s company. Thecard room tables were filled with toys donated by all. Alight buffet was offered. Even Santa came to the party, andfolks gave him their list. Peggy Andrews introducedmembers of the CEC group who organized this event, and

Santa Claus GreetsResidents

Ruth Rudloff, Ann Basler, Pat Frail, Bev Strong,Joann Campbell, Ginny Grippo, Bonnie Silva,

Joyce Foster, Bernadette HnatTom and Christine Laphan,

Mary and Bill Sapp

Looking Ahead to NewYear’s Eve

Sonya Gives Santa HerList

Gary and Sharon Merrickand Glenda Schneiderman

Maria Corvino, Glenda,Betty Freeman Collecting

Toys for Tots

Joann Campbell, JoyceFoster, Bernadette Hnat

The newest BoardMember Gary Merrick

with wife Sharon

Residents enjoying Coffee Hour Chitchat.Phyllis & Marc Lichtenfield, Faith & BillAltman, Marge Flynn, Bob Hambrecht

a round of applause followed. Before the party came to aclose, “Vocal Exchange”, an a cappella quartet, entertainedthe audience with holiday songs. Our own Tony Silvajoined the singers on stage by playing the role of Rudolphthe Red-Nose Reindeer. Everyone was in a festive moodas the party ended with the tree decorated and the room infull holiday flair in anticipation of the New Year’s party.

Sonya Comstock

Vocal Exchange, A Cappella GroupSinging Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer

Marion & Tom Smith

Photos Lee Rosenson

Roe Lamb, Chris Chappelle, ClaudiaGarrett, Anne Marie Burns, Ann

Hullinger,Pat Howe

Rita Ryor, Barbara Alt, GloriaNichols, Barb Lhulier, PhyllisBurris, Ilene Lipstein, JoanGross, Marge Flynn and BabsFox celebrated another yearof great reading anddiscussions at a holidayluncheon at the Universityand Whist Club on December16, 2014. It was amemorable luncheon in frontof a roaring fireplace. Perfect!

Guy and Betty Freeman met Santa …and his name is Bruce.  During dinneron the first night of a recent cruise, theFreeman's heard  "a tiny noise on theroof over the dining room."  To theirsurprise, who should appear, but a jollyold man with a white beard and a brightred hat.  That's right … it was SantaClaus on vacation. "Now we all knowthe truth … tough if you don't believe in Bruce."  Ho, Ho,Ho, and Merry Christmas!

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Kathy Cioffi Wins theDoor Prize

Pat Wingate, Tiny and BillFarquhar,Stan Herr

Over Seventy Attend Annual Thanksgiving DinnerA traditional Thanksgiving Dinner was served to 72 residents.There was enough turkey to satisfy everyone, along withstuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green beans,cranberry sauce and followed by pumpkin, apple and mincepie. The annual event was a big success. Kathy Cioffi wonthe door prize which consisted of two bottles of wine, twowine glasses, a cheese board and a snowman wine stopper

in a holiday decorated basket. Peg Andrews coordinated thisevent along with her committee and started the evening withtasty appetizers. The dinner was provided by Stoltzfus fromthe Dutch Country Farmer’s Market and all those whoattended requested the same dinner be repeated nextThanksgiving. A big thank you to the CEC from all theattendees for organizing this special holiday gathering.Sonya Comstock

Peg Andrews Gives Last MinuteInstructions to Caterers

Wilma and Herman Feinberg, IleneLipstein, Fred and Carolyn Bodden

Cathy and Bill Uranko Emil and Carol Savoia

Charlotte Smith, Ann Newswanger, HeleneSilverman, Bernadette Hnat, Joyce Foster,

Joann CampbellResidents Await A Delicious

Thanksgiving Meal

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Springmill Activity Contacts

Book Club -Kay O’Day-AllenBocce – Ann LucasBowling – Larry DaigleBridge (Thursday Afternoon) - Joan GrossBunco – Looking for a CoordinatorComputer Resources – Dick RauschDoll Sewing - Carolyn RifinoGolf - Fred Wendt - MSML/Joe Tomassetti-SMGLGourmet Club – Debra KupperJazzercise – Gail RouillerLibrary – Julia Hambrecht & Eileen BengerminoMahjongg – Barbara AbramsMen’s Hearts – Len BrusseeMen’s Poker – Tom FerraraMen’s Pool – Lenny BrusseePickleball – Jane KimminsRed Hat Society – Kay O’Day-AllenRomeos - Nick CiranniRummikub - Jo Verni/Jane KimminsSocial Singles - Cathy Cioffi/Bridget McGrathTennis -Bill GurneeTexas Holdem – Janet GeftmanThe Timeless Travel Group - Glenda SchneidermanWater Aerobics – Ann Raymond/Sandy CorroziWelcoming Committee - Peggy AndrewsYoga - June Stemmle

Please note: All committee meetings and activities using aClubhouse room, must be cleared with Tracey Lund.

D i n i n g O u tSchaefer’s Canal House Restaurant and Marina

208 Bank St. Chesapeake City, MD410-885-7200

Our party visited Schaefer’s fordinner on a Thursday evening afterthe boating and party season. Theonly reason I mention this is that theatmosphere changes as theseasons do. Summer bringsboaters and music to the deck areas.

The ride to Schaefer’s is a verypleasant 20 minute one through beautiful country if youtake route 15, then 213 into North Chesapeake City. If youtime it right, you can experience a beautiful sunset or theparade of pleasure boats in good weather and huge cargoships any time of the year.

Schaefer’s has a varied menu and serves brunch onSunday as well as lunch and dinner 7 days a week. Thereare a number of ways that seafood and fish are served aswell as meat entrees. I ordered a risotto with sea scallopswhich was served with a side salad. The meal was justdelicious – perfectly cooked and a perfect portion. Anotherin our party opted for one of the evening specials – lambosso bucco, served on a bed of risotto with fresh spinach.We shared a bottle of Mondavi pinot noir, assisted in ourchoice of wine by our very efficient waiter, Alex.

Schaefer’s provides space for large celebrations in a buildingnext door to the restaurant. I can say from experience thatthe banquet manager does a wonderful job in helping withmeal choices as well as overseeing the event.

Joan Gross

What’s Cookin’?Super Bowl Sunday is February 1st this year. By printingthese recipes in the January Sentinel you will have a bit oftime to get ready for the big day.

Super Bowl BiscuitsIngredients:2 cups all-purpose flour1 TBS sugar2 tsp. baking powder1 tsp. salt¼ tsp. baking soda3 TBS chilled butter, cut in small pieces¾ cup (3 oz.) shredded sharp cheddar¼ cup finely chopped green onions¼ cup fat-free buttermilk½ cup fat-free sour creamCooking spray

Preparation:Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, level with aknife. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and bakingsoda into a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Cut in thebutter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until the mixtureresembles coarse meal. Add the cheese and onions; tosswell. Add the buttermilk and sour cream; stir just untilmoist.

Drop dough by ¼ cupfuls onto a baking sheet coated withcooking spray. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes oruntil the edges are brown. Remove from the pan and cool.Makes 1 dozen at 149 calories each.These go great with your Chili!

Super Bowl Bites (Tortellini Caprese)Ingredients:1 (9 oz.) package refrigerated cheese-filled tortellini3 cups halved grape tomatoes3 (8 oz.) containers small mozzarella cheese balls60 (6-inch) wooden skewers*Basil Vinaigrette

Preparation:Prepare the tortellini according to package directions. Rinseunder cold water. Thread 1 tomato half, l cheese ball,another tomato half, and 1 tortellini onto each skewer.Place the skewers in a 13 x 9 baking dish. Pour the basilvinaigrette over the skewers, turning to coat. Cover andchill. To serve, transfer to a serving platter

*Basil Vinaigrette: Whisk together ½ cup white balsamicvinegar and 1 tsp. salt (preferably Kosher) until blended.Gradually add 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, whisking untilsmooth. Stir in fresh chopped basil (6 Tbs.) and blackpepper to taste.

June Stemmle

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(Also a Springmill Resident)

FOLLOW ME TO MY OFFICEFOR ALL YOUR INSURANCE NEEDS

State Farm

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Appoquinimink LibraryJanuary Programs

Listed below are the on-going programs at NCC SouthernLibrary. Phone number for informationor registration is (302) 378-5588. Thehours at the library are: Monday 10-8, Tuesday/Wednesday 1-8,Thursday- Saturday 10-5, and closedon Sunday. NOTE: The library willhave two closures in this month;January 1 and 19**Something New!! The library’s“Friends of Appoquinimink Library”group has started anew. . Thepurpose of the group is to support thelibrary and its programs. If you think this is a volunteer activityyou might be interested in joining, check at the library or in theNews Transcript for the January date and time.

ON-GOING PROGRAMSAdult Book Discussion meets the 3rd Wednesday of the monthat 7:00 PM. This month’s selection, “Animal Madness…howanimals help us understand ourselves” by Laurel Braitman, willbe discussed on January 21.E-book and E-Audio book tutoring by appointment duringlibrary hours. Call 378-5588.Spin-a-Yarn Group Chat as you knit or crochet. Meets everyTuesday at 7:00 pm, for all levels of experience and all ages.Sew Bee It Quilters meet the 2nd Saturday at 10:00 am, fornovice & experienced quilters.Delaware Money School Call 1-800-267-5002 for monthlytopic and to register.Job Center Tuesday from 2:00-5:00 pm; FREE help with jobhunting, resumes, interviewing skills, etc.New Castle County Register of Wills Tuesday, January 6,from 5 -7:45 pm.New Castle County Office of Property Assessment If you are65+, you may be eligible for a County and school tax discount. Arepresentative will be available EVERY Friday from 2-5:00 pm toanswer questions or help you fill out an application.

—------------------------------------------------------------------ADULT PROGRAMS…$$ and/or registration may be required

Zumba Gold Sat. 10:30-11:30 $6 drop-in fee, instructor isElisa CorderaExtreme Couponing Tuesday, Jan. 13 at 6:30 pmPresented by the Money School.Canvas Art Wednesday, Jan. 14 from 6-8 pm. Ages 12+Registration required. Paint a “stained glass” inspiredwork. All materials provided.Order in the House! Saturday, Jan. 17 at 2:00 pm.Organize your affairs (legal, financial, personal) for easyaccess and updating.Fort Delaware During the Civil War Wednesday, January28 at 6:30 pm. Presented by David Price of the FortDelaware Society.

------------------------------------------------------------------------CHILDREN’S PROGRAMS…registration requested

Movers & Shakers 45 min. classes on Tues. at 10:30Rhythm, Rhyme & Story time on Fridays at 10:15 for ages 3+Lego Club Tuesday, January 13, at 6:30, ages 5-11,registration required.Minecraft Open Play Club Drop in the 1st & 3rd Wednesdayof the month to create and explore; combines technology,

gaming and LEGO. Registration Required! January 7 &21 Ages 8+Math & Science Discovery Class Listen to stories and domake & take activities on Monday, January 12 at 10:30am. For ages 3+.Paws for People – Read Saturday, Jan. 3 & 17, from 11-12:00. Read aloud to a friendly, furry pet.Games to Play Games, puzzles, playing cards andactivities for ALL ages from 1-1:45 on Saturday, Jan. 24.June Stemmle

Discovered on The Internet!: Houzz.com

It's winter. Life is slower. On a homebound day it's time tobrowse, live vicariously, and plan some homeimprovements. Houzz.com is here to inspire you. In earlyDecember the site included 4,888,070 Design Photos -searchable - and available to place in your own digital ideabook folders for later reference.

The best way to fall in love with this site is to simply go towww.houzz.com, sign up, and start enjoying the photos.Check out www.houzz.com/ideabooks. Notice the list oftopics down the left side of this page for guided explorationof decoration.

When you are ready to learn more about the site, go towww.houzz.com/aboutUS. This page tells the story of AdiTatarko’s and Alon Cohen's decorating adventures andhow they came up with this website. Along the left side ofthe webpage is a list of links - most of which are businessrelated and not nearly so much fun as the ideabooks. But,near the bottom of the list - fourth from the bottom - is thelink to download a mobile App.

I enjoy this site through the browser on my desktop andthrough the App on my ipad. Enjoy! And, if you do someremodeling - be sure to let us know at the Sentinel - so wecan write a story.

P.S. If you know of an interesting site that you would like tonominate for this article - send me the link. Thanks.

Carolyn Fausnaughcfausnaugh@verizon.net

Etcetera

Let’s Keep Springmill Green

Submit your Tree Ballot by January 16

Vote to replace some of the streettrees that were removed with

specially selected trees in the frontor side of homeowner’s property.

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All types of Glass & Screens - Sales & Repairs

Springmill Discount: $2.75 off every car wash!

$2 Off

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Help the environment and get your electricity “almost free,”can it be?!? Looks like it can, and Ilene Lipstein and LeeRosenson of 311 Daylilly Way are the Lewis and Clark ofinstallations here in Springmill.

Two other residents, Lois Quinlan as well as Murray andJudy Johnston, have had installations, but they had upfront costs, depending on rebates to recoup some of theexpense. Ilene and Lee used a company called Solar Cityfor their installation and there were no up front costs. Ifthis is sounding more interesting to you, read on.Ilene and Lee had been looking at using solar for a longtime. Most companies cannot deal in Middletown, sinceMiddletown is part of an electric co-op. Solar City meetsthe town’s requirements. The couple also chose thecompany because of their “lease plan,” which provided aworkable financial alternative.

Should you decide to follow their lead and call thiscompany, you can reach their local Solar Field EnergyConsultant, Ashley Yehuda at 302-500-1909 or e-mail herat ayehuda@solarcity.com. Once contact has been made,the consultant will make a visit to discuss the threeoptions; outright purchase, a lease/purchase combo, or alease program, which is based on your electric usage forthe past year. After you’ve decided which option works foryou, an inspector will come out to check if your roof cantake the “load” of the panels, and if the roof orientation(think south or southwest) will maximize the efficiency ofthe solar collectors. Lee said, “They do a very thoroughengineering report.” Solar City’s engineering report is thensent to Middletown’s home inspector, Morris Deputy,and a permit is issued.

With a permit in hand, anapplication was submittedto the MRC committee.When the MRC approvedthe project, which just took afew days, since it was neartheir committee’s meetingdate, the couple went backto Solar City and set up aninstallation date. It tookabout 4-6 weeks from signing the contract to installation.On installation day, a BIG truck arrived from which nineteenpanels and assorted equipment was unloaded. Theperimeter of the house was secured with tape to preventsomeone walking in the work area. From arrival tocompletion took only THREE hours! Lee expressed it as,“They basically carried everything to the backyard, andboom, boom, boom, the work was done. (Of course, Leephotographed the whole process.)

At the same time as work was being done on the roof, aworkman was installing heavy duty circuit breakers intheir electrical panel. The final step in the process was to

have the Solar City inspector and the Middletown inspectorcome to approve the system. Once Ilene and Lee have thatapproval, the system will be activated.

When asked why they decided to switch to solar for electricity,the reasons were that there were no up front costs to them, itwas environmentally beneficial, and financially beneficial. TheROOF is essentially leased by the company for the next 20years. They will have a fixed monthly electric bill for that lengthof time. In their case it will be $62/month, which is 65% lowerthan their present electric bill. The proceeds of any excesselectricity generated go to Solar City after Middletown is paid.Ilene and Lee will pay Solar City, and the company will pay thetown each month. Because there is no outlay, and becauseelectric costs over the next 20 years will undoubtedly go up, it’san especially good deal for seniors.

My husband actually suggested my last question, “Who isresponsible for the system if the roof needs replacing?” Lee said,“In that case, Solar City would remove the system for $499, andafter the roof was replaced, they would put the panels back inplace for $499. He added, “If anything happens to the panelsduring the 20 years, Solar City has liability insurance to coverrepair or replacement.Hopefully, you now know much more about the company, theproduct and the process than before. If you would like any otherinformation, contact Ashley. If you’d like to check out the system,you know where Lee and Ilene live…stop by and take a peek.

June Stemmle

Living Green

Driveway Apron RepairLa Fazia Construction, the company that does the concretesidewalk repairs in Springmill, has proactively repaired about 140driveway aprons a month or so ago. The MRC selected thehomes that required immediate attention. Here’s the lowdown.

First the workers clean theapron joint at the end of thedriveway with a saw. Thenthey blow out all the debris.After laying a backing “rod,”which feels like the foammaterial in water noodles, theycaulk over the area. Thebacking rod is used so whenthe caulk is put in, it won’t betoo thick a layer.

The last step is to apply a topping of baby powder, so nothing(like leaves, etc.) sticks to the caulk. And, as the foremansaid, “That’s it in a nutshell.” So why are they doing all this?For a very good reason, that little slice of foam and caulk willact as an expander with each freeze and thaw and keep theconcrete from cracking…less repairs going forward. Goodthinking, MRC!June Stemmle

RomeosThe January 15th luncheon for the Romeos will be hostedby Art Lamb and will be held at Pat's Pizzeria on Broad St.,Middletown at 12:30. Please let Art know if you willattend and if you will need a ride.Joe Grippo

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Since retiring, Claudette enjoys reading…is a member ofone of our Springmill book clubs, cooking, traveling, beingwith friends and family…especially her grandchildren. Sheshared that she “likes her grandchildren a LOT.”

The Latsko’s have traveled extensively to Italy (five times),including spending time visiting Claudette’s father’s hometown in the Abruzzi region. They have also journeyed toPoland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Ireland(north and south), France, Greece, Belgium, Russia,England, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Germany, Amsterdamand, of course, Canada. They have toured ALL 50 statesin the United States and have traveled across the countryfour times. They hope to make one more cross-country tripin the future. If Claudette and George had to choose afavorite vacation spot, it would be Holden Beach, NorthCarolina, where they have vacationed with friends andfamily for the past 40 years. That’s saying a lot consideringthey have been married 53 years.

When travel and family aren’t keeping them busy, they bothenjoy volunteering in Springmill and at St. Joseph’sCatholic Church, where they are parishioners. George is amember of Springmill’s Finance Committee and volunteersto do income taxes for AARP’s Tax-aide program inaddition to his church activities.

Claudette is a member of Springmill’s Charity Committee,enjoys the Happy Hatter’s Red Hat group, and the firstWednesday Book Club. Both are members of a winetasting group and enjoy the theater. They also takecommunion to the sick of St. Joseph’s parish church, andare always available to friends in need of help in any way.

The Latskos have three children; two sons and a daughter.Michael, an attorney and Human Resources Manager atthe University of Virginia, lives in Charlottesville, VA, withhis partner, Cesar. Marc lives in Silver Spring, MD with hissignificant other, Miranda. Both are involved in the horsebusiness as brokers, riders, trainers, and set-up people forhorse shows. Susan, her husband, Tom McParland, andtheir three children, live in Hamilton Township, NJ. As forthose three grandchildren (who are the loves of their lives),their names are Claudia (16) and twins Julia Susan andThomas George (14). All three are students at NottinghamHigh School in New Jersey.

As for final thoughts, Claudette and George would like youto know that, “We have enjoyed every minute of our 10years in Springmill. We have good friends, good times andgood memories…can’t ask for much more.”June Stemmle

Claudette and George Latsko of 636 Poets Way gaveme my first Christmas present last month. Holidays arealways so hectic, and this considerate twosome not onlypromptly returned their interview form, but had suchdetailed responses, I feel they need to get equal credit forthis interview. With a few personal additions discoveredduring our chat and a tweak here and there, I was able toget back to all the holiday “to do’s” in the blink of an eye.

Claudette and George bothgrew up in westernPennsylvania…small townsfifty miles north ofPittsburgh. They met on ablind date arranged byGeorge’s sister, who was astudent nurse whereClaudette was an instructor.The students needed achaperone for a Christmasdance, so arrangements were made for George, who justreturned from overseas with the US Army, to escortClaudette to the dance. The rest is history. They are stilltelling the story after 53 years of marriage.

Prior to living in Springmill, the couple spent four years inMilwaukee, Wisconsin, lived in Roanoke, Virginia fortwenty-three years, and then Mercerville, New Jersey rightbefore they moved to our community.

The thing that impressed them the most upon visitingSpringmill was its location and the layout of the homes. Theyalso met a few residents on repeat visits and found them verywelcoming. Having lived here a number of years, they havenow met many of those residents, and any number of otherwonderful people, who have become “family.” One plus theymentioned was “being able to watch someone else mow thelawn, clear the snow, and trim the bushes.”

Before retiring, Claudette was a registered nurse. Sheworked in many capacities: taught nursing students,worked in hospitals and a large HMO clinic, and ended hercareer at Princeton University as their first triage nurse inthe urgent care clinic. We all know education is a lifelongpursuit…Claudette got her BSN at 48 years of age.

George worked at Pittsburgh Plastics, Eli Lilly and Sara Leein various management capacities. His last position, beforeretiring from Sara Lee, was as director of their distributioncenter. George worked and went to night school to get hisdegree, graduating from Roanoke College at 36 years ofage. These two know and live the word “perseverance”.

In his younger days, George was a race walker andcompleted five marathons, in addition to many shorterraces. He was the 1992 Senior Olympic State Champ ofthe one-mile race walk in Wisconsin. These days he ismore of a spectator, following all the major sports, with aparticular fondness of Pittsburgh teams.

Meet Your Neighbor

Thank YouI want to thank my wonderful neighbors for all their help duringmy recovery from a revision to my left hip replacement. Mysincere gratitude for the necessary rides to the hospital anddoctor, grocery runs and help with the trash, mail andnewspaper. I am also truly thankful for these, along with the getwell cards, delicious cookies and beautiful poinsettia. I am veryappreciative for all of their concern and help during this time.Sandy Maguire

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MiddletownEverett TheatreFri/Sat. Jan. 2&3 – 7 p.m. – “Standing Ovation” – All Tickets - $5Fri/Sat. Jan 16&17 – Documentary movie “Free Spirits SavingAmerica’s Wild Horses” – All Tickets - $10

ArdentownNew Candlelight Theater, 2208 Millers Rd., 302-475-2313Matinee & Evening ShowsJan. 17-Feb. 22“Young Frankenstein” – Mel Brooks adapted his film into astage creation. Retelling of the Gothic story featuring excitingdances, a marvelous score and humor. Dinner Buffet - $59

WilmingtonGrand Opera House, 818 North Market Street, 302-652-5577Sat. Jan. 10 – 8 p.m. – “Paula Poundstone” – stand-upcomedian – Tickets - $30-$37Fri. Jan. 16 – (Baby Grand) 8 p.m. – “Tubular Bells for Two”– Two musicians recreate the soundtrack for the film “TheExorcist” – Tickets - $30

NewarkChapel Theater, 27 N. Chapel St., 368-2041 / 368-2248Fri/Sat. Jan. 23-24 8 p.m. – “Staged Reading: A Behandingin Spokane” – Carmichael has been searching for his missinghand for many years. He meets up with lovers in Spokaneand a hotel clerk who might hold the answers to his missinghand. Grisly humor – dark comedy. Tickets - $10University of Delaware, Roselle Center for the Arts, 302-831-2204Jan. 22-Feb. 8 – “The Millionairess” – satire of romance,capitalism and integrity. Tickets - $22

Sonya Comstock

NEW Solution to Fungal NailsThe Foot Care Group, which includes Drs. David Haleyand Cody Bowers, and is located right across the way onCarter Drive in the Blue Heron Building, has recentlyintroduced a new treatment for fungal condition of the nail.No longer does anyone have to use topical treatments thatmay or may not work and are costly or oral.

Dr. Haley has introduced a newtreatment - Q Switch Nd YaGLaser – that just aboutguarantees the end of fungalnails. It is an advancedtreatment that is usuallyadministered one time in theoffice, is painless, and no“down time” is needed. Thenail does not have to beremoved, and the treatment issafe even with diabetes. Comesummer, bring out your sandalsand wear them proudly.

Dr. Haley has been treating patients in Middletown since1995. He is the Chief of Christiana Care’s PodiatricSurgical Section. Dr. Cody Bowers, a new member of theGroup, received advanced training in foot and ankle care.This group is the most awarded and acclaimed provider forfoot and ankle care in this area. They maintain threeoffices throughout Delaware. Bring in this article as a $50coupon for any fungal nail laser treatment. Contact theFoot Care Group at 302-378-6200.

Sonya Comstock

Springmill Sentinel StaffEditor: Dick RauschTreasurer: Diane DaigleSecretary: Janet GeftmanLayout and Production: Joan Gross, Dick RauschBusiness Manager: Julia HambrechtAdvertising: Carol Geiger, Janet Herner, Jerry Ryan, PatSteskal,Staff: Mary Jo Starrett, June Stemmle , Sonya Comstock,Directory: Joe Grippo, Julie HambrechtDistribution: Ralph and Pamela ClairCalendar: Tracey Lund

Please forward all articles & inquiries to:springmillnews@hotmail.com

Classified AdsSeveral residents have asked if Classified Ads could beincluded in the Sentinel each month, The Committee hasagreed that this would be a useful addition. Guidelines are:Keep your request to Find, Buy, Sell, Trade, or Give Awayitems or services to 25 words or less. We will allocate spacefor 5 - 10 ads per month at no charge. You can sendinformation to springmillnews@hotmail.com by the 15th of themonth to be included in the next month’s issue.Dick Rausch

back to warm up theupper body.* Dress appropriately. Wearing layers allows you to adjustto the temperature outside. Cover your skin to preventfrostbite.* Use a small shovel that has a curved handle. A shovelwith wet snow can weigh up to 15 pounds.* Separate your hands on the shovel. By creating spacebetween your hands, you can increase your leverage onthe shovel.* Lift with your legs, not your back. Make sure your kneesare bending and straightening to lift instead of leaningforward and straightening with the back.* Shovel frequently. Don’t wait till the snow piles up.Shovel intermittently, about every two inches.

Dick Rausch

(Be Careful Continued from page 7)

When Patronizing an Advertiser Say “I saw yourad in the Sentinel or the Annual Directory”

Animal Shelters Need HelpLocal animal shelters are in need of clean used blankets and/ortowels for the cats and dogs. If you would like to donate ratherthan dispose of please drop them off in the Craft Room of theClubhouse between January 1st and January 15th. Thankingyou ahead of time – “ruff ruff” and “meow meow”Julia Hambrecht.

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What is Cloud Computing?Cloud computing means that instead of all the computerhardware and software you're using sitting on your desktop orlaptop it's provided for you as a service by another company andaccessed over the Internet, usually in a completely seamless way.Exactly where the hardware and software is located and how it allworks doesn't matter to you, the user—it's just somewhere up inthe nebulous "cloud" that the Internet represents.

Cloud computing is a buzzword that means different things todifferent people. For some, it's just another way of describinginformation technology "outsourcing"; others use it to meanany computing service provided over the Internet or a similarnetwork; and some define it as any bought-in computerservice you use that sits outside your firewall. However wedefine cloud computing, there's no doubt it makes most sensewhen we stop talking about abstract definitions and look atsome simple, real examples—so let's do just that.

Some examples of cloud computingMost of us use cloud computing all day long without realizingit. When you sit at your PC and type a query into Google, thecomputer on your desk isn't playing much part in finding theanswers you need: it's no more than a messenger. The wordsyou type are swiftly shuttled over the Net to one of Google'shundreds of thousands of clustered PCs, which dig out yourresults and send them promptly back to you. When you do aGoogle search, the real work in finding your answers might bedone by a computer sitting in California, Dublin, Tokyo, orBeijing; you don't know—and most likely you don't care!

The same applies to Web-based email. Once upon a time,email was something you could only send and receive using aprogram running on your PC (like Outlook or Windows LiveMail). But then Web-based services such as Hotmail camealong and carried email off into the cloud. Now we're all usedto the idea that emails can be stored and processed through aserver in some remote part of the world, easily accessible froma Web browser, wherever we happen to be.

Preparing documents over the Net is a newer example ofcloud computing. Simply log on to a web-based service suchas Google Documents and you can create a document,spreadsheet, presentation, or whatever you like using Web-based software. Instead of typing your words into a programlike Microsoft Word or OpenOffice, running on your computer,you're using similar software running on a PC at one ofGoogle's world-wide data centers. Like an email drafted onHotmail, the document you produce is stored remotely, on aWeb server, so you can access it from any Internet-connectedcomputer, anywhere in the world, any time you like. Do youknow where it's stored? No! Do you care where it's stored?Again, no! Using a Web-based service like this means you are"outsourcing" some of your computing needs to a companysuch as Google: they pay the cost of developing the softwareand keeping it up-to-date and they earn back the money to dothis through advertising and other paid-for services.

In the next few years, by using “the cloud”, you will be able to handlemost of your computing needs from, banking to photos to wordprocessing, etc. from almost any device (smart phone, tablet, laptop,internet café, public library) no matter where you are in the world.Dick Rausch

approach caused. CarlRifino and Marc addressed attendees’ questions and itappears that almost everyone in attendance favored the newplan. Please contact Marc if you have any other questions.

A ballot was mailed to all residents on December 15. Residentshave until January 16 to vote on the modified bylaws. Sixtyseven percent of all homeowners must approve the change.

If the bylaw change is approved, street trees will be removedand replaced (not one for one) based upon a phasedapproach over the next three years. The budget for 2015includes funds for the first year of replacement with no impacton the Homeowner Association monthly fee. There is amaster plan for street tree removal and replacement that wasestablished by John Hosbach, the arborist that was retained todo the overall tree study.

Please submit your ballot in a timely fashion. If you have aneighbor that is away for an extended period (snowbirds),please inform the Property Manager, Tracey Lund, so thatperson can be contacted. Remember that not voting is a NOVOTE since approval of 67% of all homeowners is requiredfor a bylaw change.

Dick Rausch

(Street Trees Continued from page 1)

$25). Our ticketswere for the 3rd Mezzanine…great views for the children, whoespecially enjoyed the 3-D effects, the toy soldiers, themanger animals, the Rockettes, and Santa. Who knew hecould sing and dance? Since Rockefeller Center was onlytwo blocks down, we visited the tree (being decorated) and theice rink. Another $5.00 taxi ride took us to lunch/linner atBrendan’s, an Irish pub three doors down from our hotel,suggested by Kay O’Day Allen. It was a winner…lovelyaesthetics, good seating, wonderful food, great service, andreasonable prices. We ended up having three meals thereduring our stay; I can recommend breakfast, lunch, and dinner(loved the Irish breakfast). The rest of the afternoon wasdevoted to checking out the decorated store windows along5th Avenue…gorgeous and each unique in its own way. Ryangot to see the Herald Square Subway Station, which was onhis NYC list, and Brett got to go to the Empire State Buildingwith his parents, while his brother napped. That night Susieand Jay had date night in the city, and the grandmas babysat.

Day 4 Since we had a 1:00 train, there was still time to fit a fewmore things into our schedule. After leaving our bags with thebell captain and arranging for a taxi to the train station, it was offto Brendan’s for that Irish breakfast. Then Brett got to do theone thing on his list, besides tasting New York cheesecake (Hedidn’t like it.), and that was visiting Grand Central Station tosee the ceiling with constellations…he loved that. Then it wasinto a taxi, off to Penn Station (again, get that Red Cap), ontothe train and then taking our Delaware Express shuttle home.Was it a good weekend? It was better than anticipated. TheBEST part was seeing everything through the children’seyes…from the craned necks and wows for the first skyscraperto the ooh’s and ah’s of each new experience. I never thoughtwe could get so much done in four days. Obviously all theinformation I gathered couldn’t be printed here, but it isorganized and stored on my trusty computer. Should youdecide to follow a dream of your own, just e-mail me, and myresearch is yours. But start planning now!June Stemmle

(Thanksgiving Continued from page 13)

Computer Tutor

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