Skylines Skyline Lakes Property-holders Association

P.O. Box 427, Stanley, VA 22851

Volume 50, Issue 3 July 2019

FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK by Eugene Skotzko, President

Summer greetings to all of you. Skyline Lakes is well and after a visit there in mid-July, I can report that it was 17 degrees cooler than in Washington—which was in the 90s! This year is the 50th anniversary of Skyline Lakes Property-Holders Association (SLPA) and we are going to commemorate that milestone at the annual meeting on Saturday, 14 September 2019, at 2 pm at 119 Park View Road (Skotzko residence). I urge each of you to make a special effort to attend what will be a memorable and informative session. To help celebrate, I have asked all past Association presidents to come and speak about our growth as a community and will invite public comments during the meeting as well. There will be photographs and other memorabilia assembled as storyboards to show Skyline Lakes’ early days. You’ll see that the physical changes in the past 50 years are astounding! Of course, we will have an anniversary cake and plenty of good food for the social following the meeting.

Come join us for the 2019 Annual Meeting, Elections

and

50th Anniversary Celebration!

September 14, 2019, 2pm 119 Park View Road, Stanley, VA

Best regards, Eugene Skotzko

The backside of this year’s ballot contains two proposed amendments to our Bylaws: (1) an amendment to prohibit members who cohabitate in the same household from serving on the Board simultaneously; and, (2) an amendment (that affects six Bylaws sections) to permit the Board to use internet-based electronic communications (e-mail, etc.) to coordinate its work. The first amendment will help ensure diverse representation on the Board while the second (e-mail) will permit the Board to communicate and coordinate more effectively. The use of e-mail will not eliminate scheduled Board meetings, nor will it replace the US mail as the official communications channel of the Association. I also urge you to approve these two amendments. Road maintenance - Heavy rains in the past two months degraded several road sections in Skyline Lakes. In response, the Board recently transferred additional funds into the M&I road maintenance budget. You should begin to see new road grading and fresh gravel soon, but please be patient. Related to this upcoming roadwork, please remember that owners are responsible for cleaning the culverts on their property.

Bears – Currently, there is a parasite-based, bear mange epidemic in Shenandoah National Park and surrounding areas that is thinning their population. It spreads when healthy bears visit spots where infected animals spent time, such as a favorite location on your property where you might put out food to attract the animals or store garbage. Virginia Department of Wildlife and Inland Fisheries asks all of us to not feed the bears in order to keep from spreading the disease. If necessary, they will use official warnings and severe fines to enforce this effort. If you see a bear with mange, please contact Skyline Lakes resident, Sam Farmer, who is working with them to help prevent the spread of the disease. Sam’s land line is (540) 778-2038.

See you at the 50th anniversary meeting on 14 September!

Elsewhere in this newsletter you will see a proxy ballot for the 2019 election cycle. Beyond electing three Board members, the two-sided, color-highlighted ballot also contains a security referendum question and several proposed amendments to our Bylaws. In brief, the security referendum proposes the use of vehicle hangtags for owners/guests and the installation/operation of an internet-based digital camera to monitor road traffic into the development. I urge you to support both initiatives that respond to security concerns the membership raised at a recent annual meeting.

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SLPA Board Information

Board of Directors

Gene Skotzko, PRESIDENT (703) 939-7624

eskotzko@verizon.net

Regina Austin, VICE PRESIDENT (540) 778-3486

Beth Cayer, SECRETARY (540) 778-1427

bethcayer@hotmail.com

Mary Russell, TREASURER (540) 252-5259

SLPATreasurer@gmail.com

Andy Kent, M&I CHAIR (703) 929-2481

Slpa.maint.improv@gmail.com

Donnie Keyser (540) 742-2948

donniekeyser@hotmail.com

Crystal Liebenow (703) 981-0580

cliebenow@comcast.net

Rose Long (540) 244-2042

rlljel01.11.2011@gmail.com

Jimmy Painter (540) 778-3141

jphunt4ever@aol.com

Evans Painter (540) 778-3894

Calendar of Events

Dollars and Cents

call 540-252-5259 (vmail only)

Friendly Reminder HOA payments are due 30 days from the date

issued. They are considered late 60 days after the due date. Then a 5% late fee is added to your bill.

This complies with the Property Owners Association Act (POAA) and can be found here:

https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title55/chapter26/section55-513.3/

How to Contact SLPA

Address: SLPA, P.O. Box 427, Stanley, VA 22851

E-mail: Board@skylinelakes.org

Website: http://www.skylinelakes.org

Newsletter: SkylineLakesNewsletter@gmail.com

Treasurer: SLPATreasurer@gmail.com

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The 2019 election ballot is included in this newsletter. It contains options to vote for (1) member elections, (2) security options, and (3) bylaw amendments. The ballot can be mailed or brought to the annual meeting. Please note that if you are mailing your ballot, we must receive it by September 12, 2019, for it to be counted.

2019 Annual Elections

Regina Austin

Regina has resided in Skyline Lakes longer than any other resident. Regina and her family have been active in the town of Stanley, where they have many friends. Regina was first elected to the SLPA’s Board of Directors in 1997 and has been an active and important member ever since. She has served as Vice President, Annual Meeting and Picnic Chair, Liaison to the Police and Sheriff, Facilities Manager and Chair of the Maintenance and Improvements Committee. In this latter role, she was instrumental on contracting for the work that has shown such a marked improvement in the condition of the community roads. Regina has reliably represented the best interests of the Skyline Lakes residents and wishes to continue her valuable work on the board.

(1) Member Elections – Candidate Biographies

Beth Cayer

Beth and her husband, Jon, have lived in Skyline Lakes since 2015. She is a Warren County teacher who enjoys reading a book by the patio campfire and watching the wildlife of the mountains. She has served as the association secretary for six years and the Firewise representative for two. She has secured three grants from the Department of Forestry for improvements to Skyline Lakes, most recently this year for the use of their boomax to clear brush along our roads. She believes strongly in representing all owners’ points of view and the importance of following the VA Propertyowners’ Association statutes when making decisions for the association.

Cheryl Watkins

Cheryl and her husband, Dean live in Jarrettsville, MD and owned property in Skyline Lakes in excess of 10 years. Dean has been active in the community, helping with various maintenance projects, such as installing culverts, widening the road past Glick Hill and assisting with building the dock at the pond.

Cheryl has worked as an Army Civilian since 2009 and enjoys getting away from the hub-bub of the city to the peace and quiet of Skyline Lakes. Cheryl is seeking the opportunity to support the community by offering her administrative skills and participating on the board.

Cheryl’s hobbies include gardening, tending her small flock of chickens, reading and learning about herbalism. Most of all, she enjoys spending time with her two young granddaughters.

Eugene Skotzko, Jr.

Gene is a retired federal employee who spent most of his career in overseas assignments and now lives in Northern Virginia. He has been a member of the Skyline Lakes community since 1969 when, as a teenager, his parents were among the original property owners in Skyline Lakes. Gene and his brother, former Board member and President Scotty Skotzko, inherited in the early 2000s and together they have invested in rebuilding the family property. Gene was elected to the Board in 2010 and has served as its President since 2012. He is deeply interested in the preservation of property values for future generations of owners, building the community, and ensuring good governance in all Association activity.

Scott Downey

Scott Downey and his wife Jill Downey live Elkton Va. Scott is employed at Merck and Jill is employed at Dean Home Center. They both love spending time with their daughter, Hailey and granddaughter Autumn. Scott and Jill love enjoying the outdoors. They have owned their cabin and properties in Skyline Lakes for 4 years now. They both love to get away from the " hustle and bustle" and enjoy coming to the cabin to relax. Scott and Jill have found their time here to be very peaceful. They have made some great friends in the Skyline community and would really enjoy coming to know many others in the community. Scott would like the opportunity to join the board and work with the members to help keep Skyline Lakes a great place.

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(3) Bylaw Amendments

The Board would like to introduce two (2) amendments to the bylaws. According to the SLPA Bylaws, Article VI, Section D: “…Bylaws may be amended only by the affirmative vote or written consent, or any combination thereof, of Members representing two-thirds (2/3) of those present, in person or by proxy, at a regular or special meeting of the Association.” The amendments are below, with a justification:

A. Prohibit cohabitants from serving on the Board simultaneously. Justification: Spouses are already prohibited from serving simultaneously. This amendment helps maintain a diverse Board, resulting in better representation across the community. Addressing cohabitants brings this bylaw into more modern times.

B. Introduce the use of E-mail for the coordination of Board business--not as a replacement for U.S. mail, but to augment the existing communication channels. Justification: The Bylaws only include telegraph for electronic communications. Adding E-mail brings this Bylaw into modern times and reflects the widespread use of E-mail in American society.

Initial hangtag investment is $500. Owners would have high quality tags assigned, while renters would have a temporary tag. Guests can obtain a temporary tag from SD Bookkeeping.

Hangtags must be displayed while vehicle is in the community.

ADT offers a Network Video Recorder (near the entrance) and motion-sensored, infrared WiFi cameras. It’s a $2000 installation fee and $15 per month subscription. Damaging a camera does not damage or delete videos, as they are stored online on ADT’s website. Videos are accessed online with a secure login.

Hangtags

Cameras

(2) Security Options

At a recent annual meeting, owners expressed an interest in having the board explore options to increase security in the community. While several options were explored, two (2) options were determined to be viable from both a financial as well as a maintenance perspective. The Board is evaluating raising HOA fees to implement options.

Breaking News: Bear Mange in Skyline Lakes

2019 Annual Elections, Continued

According to Rolf Gubler, a wildlife biologist for Shenandoah National Park, Sarcoptic mange is caused by a native parasite, so the National Park Service’s position is to let natural processes prevail (no treatment.) The Wildlife Center and the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries take a different approach by catching some of the bears and administering treatment.

Recently, the Wildlife Center has been using a different form of treatment than years passed, which was actually first developed for flea and tick prevention in dogs and cats. It has shown to be effectve against the sarcoptic mite. The Wildlife Center has a couple of successful cases using just one dose of the oral medication. As a result, those bears have been released back into the wild.

The SLPA is working with the Wildlife Center to address this disease. Do not put food out to attract bears, as it causes healthy bears to be exposed to sick bears, infecting them. If you see a bear with mange, please contact resident, Sam Farmer at (540) 778-2038.

While the image of a bear with mange can be disturbing, it is necessary to inform our residents of this growing epidemic. Sarcoptic mange is a parasitic disease that allows sarcoptic mites to bury underneath the skin, causing an extreme inflammatory immune response to the bear. Infected bears physically cannot eat enough to consume enough calories to help sustain themselves while also fighting off the disease. As a result, many bears die from starvation. And while there is a promising cure, there are also differing schools of thought on how to address the problem.

.

Bear with advanced mange in Skyline Lakes, July 2018

Content adopted from: https://www.cbs19news.com/content/news/Virginia-seeing-an-increase-in-mangy-black-bears-500965281.html

Life on the Mountain Wildflowers of Skyline Lakes

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Life on the Mountain Bear-Proof Bird Feeders

?

To attract birds, Skyline Lakes residents hang bird feeders. But birds are not the only animals that like bird seed. Nearly everyone on the mountain has had black bears tear down their feeders. And, unfortunately, while bird feeder manufacturers have mastered squirrel-proofing designs, they have not produced a bear-proof feeder. But that does not deter our bird-loving residents, who go to great lengths to create their own custom, bear-proof feeders, like Rose and Jason Long. First, Rose and Jason identified a location in their yard that was far enough away from trees, so that the bear could not reach it from a tree or branch. They started with a 15 foot, heavy-gauge, metal pole, and welded two pipes at the top, crossing at the center to form an “X.” This allowed them to hang a variety of bird feeders, including suet feeders, which are used to attract woodpeckers.

Bear caught on security camera with a non-bear proof feeder.

The Cayers’ have the height advantage of owning a 3-story cabin. So, they decided to attach an Outrigger-style fishing pole holder to the outside of their cabin, up on the second story, just outside a set of glass, sliding doors. They positioned the feeders near the center of the wall, away from the corners of the cabin and windows, with frames for gripping claws. So, there’s virtually no way for a bear to climb straight up the wall to get to the feeders.

Near the bottom of the pole, they bolted “bear spikes” to deter bears from climbing the pole. This was handmade by cutting a metal pipe longways, which was large enough to fit over the primary pole. Then they spot-welded large fencing staples onto the fitted pipe and bolted it around the primary pole. Finally, they buried the pole 3 feet into the ground, in a concrete footer for stability. This bear-proof bird feeder has worked very well, but Beth and Jon Cayer took a different and equally creative approach, when they designed their bear-proof feeder.

Rose and Jason Long’s bear-proof bird feeders.

Handmade bear spikes.

Beth and Jon Cayer’s bear-proof bird feeders.

Close-up of the Cayer’s Outrigger-style fishing pole holder.

If you have a bear-proof bird feeder design, please tell us about it by E-mailing SkylineLakesNewsletter@gmail.com.

Article Contributors: Rose & Jason Long, Beth & Jon Cayer, Mary Russell

More than anywhere in the Shenandoah area, our area in Skyline Lakes is blessed with an abundance of wildflowers. Two of those most noticeable are the bloodroot and wild geranium. Bloodroot shows up in March all along the roadsides. The bloodroot flower’s name was derived from the thick red sap that seeps from the stem. It was used by American Indian Tribes for a variety of uses, including dyes to medicines. Today, it is widely thought to be a powerful anticancer agent. Although cancer patients have been treated with this plant for over 150 years, it has only recently come under investigation for its long-known potential as a cancer curative: https://thetruthaboutcancer.com/bloodroot/ while wild geranium appears in abundance everywhere in May.

You will find wild geranium in abundance everywhere in May. It is considered an astringent; a substance that causes contraction of the tissues and stops bleeding. The Mesquakie Indians brewed a root tea for painful nerves including toothaches. Probably the most beautiful of all is Virginia Bluebells, but they generally hide in large patches deep inside wooded areas. A patch appeared in late April in a wooded area south of Crystal Liebenow's house. On a Mother's Day stroll around the mountain, many little wildflowers were

Bloodroot Flower.

Wild Geranium.

Virginia Bluebells.

seen in full bloom, such as sweet cicely, golden ragwort and swallow-wort. There was an abundance of dame's rocket in brilliant blue and white on the upper side of Park Heights Road. And, of course, the apple trees were in full bloom and the blackberry blossoms were just beginning to show. Once in mid-July Loie picked an armload of wildflowers walking up just one road, Short Cut. Of the group of flowers, she was able to identify

Golden Ragwort. Sweet Cicely. Apple Blossom.

the following: Queen Anne's Lace, Yarrow, Wild Roses, Vipers Buglas, Ox-Eye Daisies, Snake Root (Black Cohosh or Bug Bane), Chicory, Indian Tobacco, Wild Columbine, Common Fleabane (yellow), Daisy Fleabane (white), Thimble Weed, Rough-Fruited Cinquefoil, Blackberry Blossoms, Scarlet Pimpernel, that pesky Crown Vetch, and that not so wild Sweet Clover.

Queen Anne’s Lace Wild Rose. Ox-Eye Daisy

Vipers Buglas. Crown Vetch. Wild Columbine.

The Crown Vetch is considered a serious ecological threat to native plants. It was imported from Eurasia in the 1950’s to control erosion, due to its strong root system that grows very fast. However, it was discovered that it chokes out other plants, and can even climb over and smother small shrubs.

Snake Root Scarlett Pimpernel. Thimble Weed.

Loie and I live in Front Royal in a mountain community on the northern end of Shenandoah National Park, where very few wildflowers exist. I can only guess that we have such an abundance here in Skyline Lakes because for so many years the Longs grazed cattle on our 500+ acres, prior to the purchases by Price-Radin Associates, Inc. in 1968.

Article Contributors: Orv and Loie Lee