Mikado at Potomac Theatre Company

Long-term readers of Inverness Forest Today will remember that I am the photographer for two local community theater companies: The Potomac Theatre Company and the Victorian Lyric Opera Company. When one of these theater companies has a particularly good production, I write a blog post to let you know.

This time, both of these theater companies have combined forces to create a memorable production of Gilbert and Sullivan's "The Mikado".

The show opened last weekend and the audiences, judging by the applause, seemed very happy with the production.  The final performances will be this weekend at the Bullis School, about 8 minutes from Inverness Forest.

The Mikado is a story of two young lovers who triumph in the end after overcoming numerous obstacles and a case or two of mistaken identity.  Among the humorous plot twists in the case of the Ko Ko, the royal executioner, who tries to figure out how to chop off his own head.  The story is summarized in this Wikipedia article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mikado

To request tickets and for the location and times of the show, see the flyer below.

Harvey
iftblog@gmail.com

Inverness Halloween Spookctacular

The Inverness Forest Halloween "Spookctacular" on the evening of Oct 31 was a big success!  More than 70 people attended by my wild guess and perhaps even more.

The event organizers, Jessica Bejarano, Cybel Wigle and Maria Angelica Antequera (and I'm sure several others who's names I don't have) did a fantastic job putting this together.  

If you've ever organized an event before, you're aware of the hundreds of little details that you have to take care of before an event can come off as flawlessly as this one. 

The kids costumes showed a lot of imagination and, as an added bonus, many of the adults came dress up in witty and clever costumes.

I submitted my pictures of our halloween event to the Potomac Almanac newspaper.  They published a large spread in the November 4 edition.  Our community is getting a lot of free publicity lately since this feature comes a month after an earlier story about the Inverness Forest Association's first annual picnic.

Here is a link to my online photo gallery:

http://harveylevine.smugmug.com/photos/swfpopup.mg?AlbumID=14459396&AlbumKey=3EGbb

I was not the only photographer present at the event.  Maria Angelica Antequera provided me the following link to her photos:

http://picasaweb.google.com/114083389796403431388/2010InvernessHalloweenParty?feat=email#

Harvey

2010 Annual Meeting Election

The 2010 Inverness Forest Association Annual Meeting was held on October 14, 2010. The election this year featured six vacancies: three positions that were held by incumbents and three other positions that were vacant because the board members resigned before their terms were completed.

The three incumbents (Mary Ferguson, Sue Ellen Parrott, and Sharlene Shugarman) received the most votes and were elected to three-year terms. 


I would like to thank Sabine Dohrn who served on the board for six years before retiring at the end of her term this month.  She will be missed by all of us who worked with her during her tenure.  Notable achievements include an extended period on the ACC and her work as the Snow Removal chair where she negotiated contract for snow removal and oversaw and coordinated the snow removal work.

Three residents at the meeting (Martin Aliaga, Rita Carvajal, and James Ulrich) volunteered to stand for election. All three were elected to fill the vacated terms of the three former board members.

The IFA website contains the names, email addresses, and expiration of the terms of all board members updated with the results from the election. Click on the link labeled "Board Members".

Note that with the exception of the three board veterans (Sharlene Shugarman, Elliot Postow, and myself - each with 5 or more years on the board), the remaining six board members have spent two years or less on the board. This is likely to lead to many new and innovative ideas from the newcomers tempered by the experience of the veteran board members.

I also like the mix of different stages of life among the board members, which should be an accurate proxy for the the interests and age distribution within the community. We have board members who range in age from people who are retired to people with very young children. This should help give the board a perspective on issues that reflects the perspective of the community at large.

Harvey,

iftblog@gmail.com

Inverness Halloween Spookctacular

Cybel Wigle and Jessica Bejarano contacted me about the Halloween event they are planning for Sunday, October 31.  Cybel and Jessica, along with several other moms, are planning a costume party for inverness kids, along with their parents.  Parents can dress up for Halloween if they wish.  

Perhaps this will become an annual tradition.  For details, see the information below that  Cybel Wigle sent me:

Dear neighbors,

This year, we are planning on meeting on Halloween day. Please bring any snack or drink (please, no alcohol) to share. We encourage you to dress-up if you'd like, but not necessary. Bring your cameras and let's have an spookctacular night!!!

When: Oct. 31st, 2010
Where: 8100 cul-de-sac Inverness Ridge Rd
Time: 5:30 to 6:30pm

Questions? Contact:

Cybel Wigle at cjwigle@gmail.com or

Jessica Bejarano @ jbejarano@paegroup.com

See you soon!

Harvey,

iftblog@gmail.com

The 2010 Annual Meeting is This Thursday

I hope many of you will be able to attend the 2010 Annual Meeting of the Inverness Forest Association.  I look forward to meeting many old friends and new residents who have moved in during the past year.

You should have received a notice about the Annual Meeting in the mail some weeks ago.  In case you can't find this notice, here are the details. 

• Date: Oct. 14, 2010
• Time: 7:30 PM (sign-in)
•           8:00 PM (Call to order)
• Place: Chesterton Hall, The Heights School
•           10400 Seven Locks Rd, Potomac, MD 
•           (same place as last year)

If you are unable to attend, please provide a proxy (with your voting instructions) to me (as indicated on the proxy).  If you prefer, you can give your proxy to anyone who is attending the meeting.  A quorum is needed before the meeting can be held and your proxy counts towards meeting that quorum.  If we do not have a quorum, then we will have to postpone the meeting, which will be costly.

If you can't locate the proxy you received in the mail, you can download a copy from the IFA website by right-clicking on the "Download Proxy Form" link.  Choose whatever option your browser offers to download the PDF file.

Residents who are not owners are also invited to attend the meeting, but only owners are entitled to vote.

Hope to see you at the meeting!

Harvey

Harvey Levine

Treasurer, Inverness Forest Association

iftblog@gmail.com

Maintain Your Trees!

Yasaman has sent me the following email pointing out that regular maintenance of trees on resident’s properties could prevent damage or even injuries.

In light of the severe storms we've been having, I want to point out that owners should be more aware of trees in their properties, specially those that have the potential to fall over their neighbor's yard and cause damage. Even though each person's insurance company would cover damages to the structures, no one wants to be in a position to have to go through the head-aches involved. Also, if the fallen tree does not cause any damages to any structures, the insurance companies will not pay for the removal of the tree. The latter happend to me during the second blizzard this year, where my neighbor's tree fell on my deck, but did not cause major damages. Luckily, I had a very nice neighbor who paid for the entire tree removal from both his and my yard, but not everyone could be nice like him, particularly when you read the county tree laws.

 

Can you please be kind and alert the community of this very important matter.  I really appreciate it. Yasaman

Yasaman touches on one point that I'd like to expand upon.  Because both the winter and summer storms this year have damaged homeowner's trees, I've often been asked who is responsible for the damage if a neighbor's tree falls on my property.  I've asked this question of both the IFA insurance agent and arborists hired to repair or remove damaged trees.  My interpretation of the answers I've received goes something like this:  The instant a tree (or a part of a tree) falls onto your property, that tree becomes your property.  It is no longer your neighbor's property even if it had been before it fell on your property.  I'm not saying that this is the legal interpretation of the situation (although it might be), I'm just saying that all the information I've received from experts is consistent with this view.  Given this interpretation the following conclusions can be drawn:

1. You may dispose of the tree that fell on your property in any way you choose.  Your neighbor who originally owned the tree has no role in this decision.
2. Your insurance company is expected to pay for the repair of any damage caused by the fallen tree -- not your neighbor's insurance company!  The same holds true for the cleanup of the fallen tree.  This makes sense since you are now the owner of that fallen tree, even though you didn't ask for the tree or want it to fall on your property.
3. When a branch from a neighbor's tree overhangs your property, by this interpretation, that branch is yours.  You may trim it as you see fit.  An exception is that if your trimming of the overhanging branch causes damage to the tree, then you are responsible for the damage your actions has caused. If you decide to trim (or cut down) an overhanging branch of your neighbor's tree, please make sure you hire a certified arborist to analyze the consequences that will result from the trimming of the branch and make sure that your actions won't result in damaging the tree and therefore make you responsible for the damage. 

As I said earlier, I'm not a lawyer and so I don't know if the fallen tree is legally yours.  But from everything I've heard from the experts, the rules seem to function as if you owned the fallen tree.  

Perhaps lawyers, insurance people, arborists, or other knowledgeable residents in our community can provide comments since this issue has unfortunately become all to common lately.  Please leave a comment on this blog post or send me an email with your thoughts.

Thanks,

Harvey

Harvey Levine

iftblog@gmail.com

Report Tree Damage!

The Inverness Forest Association is surveying the damage to common area trees that was caused by the storm this past Sunday.  Please send me an email describing any situation that might pose a danger to residents.  Be as specific as possible about the location of the tree.

I will collect all the email I receive from the community and forward them to the people doing the survey.  We are requesting bids from tree companies we've used in the past.

Please send your email reporting tree damage to me at:

iftblog@gmail.com

Thanks,

Harvey

Harvey Levine

IFA Treasurer

More Info on Water Restrictions

Water restrictions are now lifted as of July 6, 2010

WSSC Lifts Mandatory Water Restrictions
Section of 96-inch Pipe is Successfully Replaced
Customers Can Return to Normal Usage

(Laurel, MD, July 6, 2010) General Manager Jerry N. Johnson has announced the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) is lifting the Mandatory Water Use Restrictions, effective immediately. WSSC serves customers in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties.

“Our pipe is back in service. I want to thank our customers who were unavoidably inconvenienced by these water restrictions,” said Johnson. “We made the right decision and took the proper precautions when we decided to immediately repair the pipe. The restrictions were unfortunate, but necessary. We needed to be proactive to prevent what could have been a very serious situation.”

In addition, WSSC continued the restrictions through Tuesday to make certain that the water meets state water quality standards and ensure the health and safety of our customers. WSSC has never had a drinking water violation in 92 years of operation. Tests confirmed this morning that those standards have been met. The pipe was put back in service and now the water use restrictions have been lifted.

---

July 2, 2010 - 2:00 PM Update:

Water pressure within the county remains at acceptable levels, however, residents continue to use more water during daylight hours than the system is producing.  For this reason, Montgomery County would like to continue to remind citizens serviced by WSSC to abide by the WSSC Water use restrictions

Repairs will continue around the clock until complete. Until that time it is imperative that all business and residential customers:



·         Stop all outside water use – no watering lawns, no washing cars, no topping off swimming pools

·         Use water only as necessary – i.e., shorter showers and turn off faucets after washing hands

·         Limit flushing toilets (do not flush after every use)

·         Limit using washing machines and dishwashers (wash full loads only)

---

In response to yesterday's post about a damaged water pipe that is effecting 1.8 million residents in Montgomery and Price George's county, Inverness Forest resident Robert de Sugny has forwarded the following information from "Alert Montgomery".

The pictures are from a set I took this morning and submitted to the Potomac Almanac for publication.

Mandatory Water Restrictions In Effect for WSSC Customers


For the next few days while the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) repairs a major water main in Montgomery County, water supplies will be reduced by about 30 percent.  There will be enough water for most indoor water uses  However, it is essential that WSSC customers conserve water whenever possible so that fire and rescue services, hospitals and other emergency services will be unaffected. Until the restrictions are lifted, here’s what you need to know:

Outdoor Water Use is Banned

Lawn watering
Homeowner car washing
Filling or topping off private pools
Washing outdoor paved surfaces

Conserve Water Indoors

Use dishwashers and washing machines with full loads only.
Decrease shower time.
Turn off the water while shaving or brushing teeth.
Take this opportunity to check all faucets, pipes and toilets for leaks and repair them.  Leaks can waste 10 percent of a household’s water use.
Install a low-flow shower head if you don’t already have one to save water and energy.


Here are the answers to some questions you might have:


If the problem is in Potomac, why do all customers need to conserve? The 96-inch main is a major transmission main within WSSC’s distribution system. If customers do not conserve, some users could experience a drop in water pressure.


Will the quality of my water be affected? No.  WSSC will continue to supply safe, clean drinking water while repairs are made.

Could this affect fire protection? Yes, if people don’t conserve and water pressure drops.  WSSC is in contact with local fire departments so they can take appropriate measures.


Are swimming pools affected? Yes.  All pools are included in the restrictions; public, private and commercial should not be topping off and should refrain from any non-essential use of water.


Are car washes affected?  Car washes are NOT affected if they recycle their water.


How do I report a violation of the restrictions? In Montgomery County, call 311. Your call will then be referred to the appropriate enforcement agency for follow up. Violators could receive a $500 ticket.


Where can I get more information?

1) Sign up for Alert Montgomery at https://alert.montgomerycountymd.gov   2) Check www.montgomerycountymd.gov  for updates (remember to refresh your browser) or call the WSSC Emergency Call Center at 301-206-4002; Toll free: 1-800-828-6439; TTY:  301-206-8345.

Sent to All users (E-mail accounts) through Alert Montgomery
... powered by the Roam Secure Alert Network
----
- You received this message because you are registered on Alert Montgomery or on one of the local municipalities' alerting systems.
- If you are registered on Alert Montgomery you can update your account or authenticate this alert by going to https://alert.montgomerycountymd.gov/myalertlog.php?s_alert_id=5300
- Tell others about Alert Montgomery! Have them sign-up for this free county service at https://alert.montgomerycountymd.gov=

Huge Water Pipe in Danger of Bursting

Board member Elliot Postow has alerted the board to a breaking story.  Elliot says, "There is a big problem with a  96" water main at Tuckerman and Gainsborough.  This is the largest in the WSSC system, the River Rd main was 66".  Elliot has provided a link to the online Washington Post story.  Here is an excerpt:

The WSSC is advising customers to stop all outside water use and to limit flushing toilets and use of washing machines and dishwashers.
The agency issued the restrictions after an inspection found a failing 96-inch water main near the corner of Tuckerman Lane and Gainsborough Road in Potomac. Repairs are underway to ensure that fire departments in Montgomery and Prince George's counties have adequate pressure to fight fires.
The 96-inch concrete pipe -- the biggest in WSSC's system -- was installed in 1969 and was last inspected three years ago, WSSC spokesman Jim Neustadt said. After that inspection, crews left behind fiber-optic equipment to detect the "ping" sounds created when the reinforcing steel wires snap from corrosion after groundwater seeps through the pipe's decaying concrete walls.
It was a relative flurry of "ping" sounds -- one detected Tuesday afternoon and seven more within a half-hour just after midnight Wednesday -- that triggered an alarm warning that the pipe was in danger of bursting, Neustadt said.  

Please follow this advise on water usage (from the Post article) for the next several days so that the fire departments in Montgomery and Price George's Counties will have adequate water pressure to fight fires.

About 1.8 million people in Montgomery and Prince George's counties have been ordered to stop watering their lawns and washing their cars and limit their use of toilets, dishwashers and washing machines through the Fourth of July weekend after officials shut down a huge water main in Potomac on Thursday.

 Here is the link to the Washington Post Article:

Washington Post story on a possible bursting water pipe

Cars and Robbers

I've received a some reports in the past few weeks of some late-night attempts to remove items from parked cars.  Generally the attempts were unsuccessful because the cars were locked, someone observed the nefarious activities and called the police, or because there was nothing of value to steal.  There have been some small, portable items (like iPods and portable GPS devices) taken.

There seems to be a pattern to these attempted robberies.  The vandals work individually or in small groups.  They walk along a row of cars searching for unlocked doors.  When they find a car with an unlocked door they make a quick search for small, portable valuables to grab.  They run away when someone notices them and yells or calls the police.

I have not had any reports of these robbers trying to force the locks of locked cars.  I suppose the time it takes and noise it makes to break into a car makes it more likely that the potential robbers will be spotted and the police called. 

To thwart these potential robbers some obvious steps should be taken.  Please lock all car doors when leaving your vehicle.  Even if you think you might be returning to your car shortly, lock the doors.  Often plans change and the car is left unlocked overnight.   Also, don't leave small, valuable, electronic devices or other obviously valuable items in plain sight in your car.  Hide them out of sight or even better, bring them inside.

As always, your comments are welcome.  Please click on the word "comment(s)" below.


Harvey Levine
Inverness Today Blog
iftblog@gmail.com

Help Us Clean Up the Woods

Don Vicars, the volunteer in charge of the maintenance of our trees and the woods, is organizing a cleanup of the woods this weekend.  Don writes the following:

The woods are an important asset to our community.   But like a garden, they require maintenance to stay healthy and look natural.  Each year, we have our tree vendor cut down dead trees and branches that are dangerous.   Other things fall on their own.   And homeowners put branches and shrubs in the woods.   It all adds up to wood on the ground.   A little wood scattered in the forest is healthy and looks natural.   Too much becomes a problem.

There are problem spots in the IFA forest that would benefit from a cleanup.  We are seeking volunteers this Sat, 6/19 to help cleanup large branches and small fallen trees that have accumulated over the years.  If you are interested in helping, please leave your name and number and someone will contact you.

Don has asked me to compile a list of volunteers and their phone numbers.  He will phone the volunteers and make arrangements for this Saturday's cleanup.  If you are interested in helping the community with this cleanup, please email me your name and phone number and I'll pass that information to Don.  My email address is at the bottom.

Thanks,

Harvey Levine
Inverness Today Blog
iftblog@gmail.com

Raccoon Attack

Last night a raccoon attacked a dog walker along Deborah Drive.  The animal’s aggressive behavior left open the possibility that the raccoon might be rabid.  In addition another resident, also walking his dog, witnessed the incident.

Igor Kleyner described his encounter with the raccoon in an email to me as follows:

I had a very unpleasant incident this evening (May 24 - HL).  About 8:30 pm, as I was walking with [my dog] Doctor on Deborah Drive, we were attacked by a raccoon.  Here is a "play-by-play"...

- we are walking toward South on the pool side of Deborah, approaching Kirkwall

- a raccoon comes out from the woods between 107XX houses and Deborah, crosses Deborah about 50 feet in front of us, as we stop and pause, and climbs a tree in the front yard of the house on the north-west corner of Deborah and Kirkwall.

- we walk past the raccoon and cross Kirkwall

- as we reach the southwest corner of Deborah and Kirkwall, the beast starts making barking sounds while looking at us, then climbs down from the tree and charges us

- I yell at it with no apparent effect, then run across Deborah to our side of the road, dragging Doctor along

- the coon pauses, then charges again, this time more aggressively; instinctively, I kick the damn beast in its face, grab Doctor and run across Deborah again back to the side where it all started

- the coon does not chase us anymore - it goes into the woods,  ...

- I called MC animal control emergency number when I got home - they were surprisingly uninterested and told me that since I can't tell them where the coon is right now, they will not do anything.  ... I am going to call their non-emergency number tomorrow morning, hoping for a more intelligent and receptive person on the other end of the line.

Carolyn Hayes, whose husband witnessed the raccoon attack, emailed me the following description:

Hi Harvey,

I just wanted to communicate an experience my husband had last night while walking one of our dogs.  The only reason this raccoon may not have been rabid was because the incident happened after dark-when racoons are out normally in nature.

He said he heard a man scream, and he went to the location where he heard it.  It was in the center "island" area between our houses.  [The man] who has a small black dog, had to kick a hissing raccoon that got too close to him and his pet.  The animal then ran back into the woods.  I don’t know if they got to close to the wooded area at that time of night and was too close to where the raccoon was for comfort, but it was worth me emailing you about so that other residents can be aware.  I would hate to see someone's pet or child have an accident with one.

Carolyn

So, please be alert when you are walking your dog after dark.  I think I’ll look for a small stick to carry.


Please see Igor's and Carolyn's comments below (If they are not visible, click on the word "comments"). 

Harvey,

Harvey Levine
iftblog@gmail.com

Rebecca Adler Book Talk on Saturday 4/24

Inverness Forest resident Rebecca Adler will give a talk at the Potomac Library this Saturday morning. Here are the details:

You are invited to attend a Book talk by Rebecca Adler, author of " Keep Me Safe at Home and in My Community" (A handbook on safety for young children and their families)

This book is unique in that it covers six areas of safety: Homes , Strangers, Cars, Streets, Playgrounds, and Swimming Pools. The book is colorful, easy for children to read, multi-cultural, and includes many pets.


Date: Saturday, April 24, 2010

Place: Potomac Library
10101 Glenolden (Corner of Falls Rd.)
Potomac, Md. 20854
240-777-0690

Time: 10:00 To 11:00 A.M.

Contractor List Revisited

I received the following email from Inverness resident Valen Brown:

Do you know if anyone in Inverness Village has had a good experience with oak floor refinishers? I'm considering doing the kitchen floor--

Thanks Valen

This reminded me that we have a "Contractor Recommendation Form" that lets Inverness residents enter information on specific contractors and describe their experience. The contractor information is automatically entered on the "Contract List" for everyone to see.

The sidebar (on the right) contains links to both the Contractor Recommendation Form and the Contractor List. There are currently 13 entries on the list. Although all the contractors listed by residents are highly praised, it would be equally helpful to learn about contractors that have not met your expectations or have been downright terrible. Even if a contractor you've used is already on the list, it would still be helpful to have additional opinions on that contractor

Thanks to those of you who have previously provided information on contractors that they have used. If you would like to share information about a contractor with the Inverness community, please fill out the Contractor Form by clicking on the link in the sidebar.

If you have a recommendation for Valen, please fill out the Contractor Recommendation Form.

Thanks

Harvey,

Harvey Levine
iftblog@gmail.com

My Other Blog

Besides Inverness Forest Today I have another blog called Cloud Computing For Free that I've recently started.  Although I started programming computers 47 years ago (1963), I'm still fascinated by the continuing improvements in computer technology.  Cloud computing refers to not only storing your data files on the internet instead of your computer's hard drive, but also to having your software reside on the internet as well.  Thus rather than using Microsoft Word to create a ".doc" file on your hard drive, in the cloud you would use your browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, etc.) to go to the Google Docs website and use the software on the website to create a word processing file which is stored in your Google Docs account.

If you think about it, this "cloud" way of doing word processing has a lot of advantages over the using Word on your computer:

• You can work on your data file from any computer in the world that has internet access (home, work, laptop, smart phone, friend's house)
• You don't need to make backups because the cloud provider typically makes copies of your files on several servers in different parts of the world.
• You can invite others to collaborate on your document and watch their changes in almost real time on your computer, even as you make other changes.
• You don't need to buy and periodically upgrade copies of Microsoft Office.  The word processing software in the cloud is always the latest version.  You don't have to spend any time or effort upgrading the software.
• Many of these cloud sites are totally free.

Hence the name of my blog, "Cloud Computing For Free".  I'm convinced that, judging from the rates of adoption of cloud technology, it won't be long before most data processing will be done in the cloud and progressively less will be done using software on your computer.  The city of Los Angeles recently decided to stop using Microsoft Office and instead set up all it's thousands of employees with Google Docs accounts.  The savings of not having to buy thousands of copies of Office (and the subsequent upgrades) will save the city hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Besides word processing, you can use the cloud for spreadsheets (replacing Excel), presentations (replacing PowerPoint), email, calendars, photo retouching, and even blog writing (I'm using Google Docs to write this blog post).  Once your document is in the cloud you can do do many things with it that you can't do at home, such as faxing it, sending it to Kinkos to be printed and bound, or turned into a website (or blog post!).

Chances are that you are already using cloud computing but didn't realize it.  Consider email: are you using gmail, hotmail, web-based AOL, yahoo mail?  These are all cloud applications.  Creating an email is done in the cloud using your browser, as is reading your email.  You can read and write email from anywhere in the world with an internet connection.  The software to read, write, store, and search your email is entirely in the cloud.

If you are intrigued, as I am, by the opportunity to try out and adopt what is possibily a better way to work, a way that will likely become, in the near future, the way much of the world works, then you might want to read my Cloud Computing For Free blog.  There are two ways for you to be informed when I add a new blog post to Cloud Computing For Free: email notification or RSS feeds.  You can check out the CCFF blog's sidebar to sign up for either (or both).  

This is the link to Cloud Computing For Free:

http://cloudcomputingforfree.com/

Harvey Levine

iftblog@gmail.com

or,

harvey@cloudcomputingforfree.com

Inverness Forest Today Facelift

I've given Inverness Forest Today a facelift and added several new features.  The change in appearance is more than cosmetic.  The old layout always used the same narrow column for all the posts regardless of how wide you made your browser window.  The new layout display the posts in a wider column when you increase the width of the window.

I've added a set of navigation links at the top of the page as shown here.  Home takes you to the usual blog posts, More links takes you to a page of additional links that you might find useful.  These links are in addition to the ones found in the sidebar.  Suggest Topic is a page that asks you to suggest a topic for future blog posts.

Near the top of the sidebar is a new Search box.  Enter a word and a search of the blog finds posts that match the word you entered.  For example, there was a blog post about raccoons almost a year ago.  If you type "raccoons" in the search box, the post from June 1, 2009 will be found.

Another way to find previously covered topics on Inverness Forest Today is with the Topics list.  As you can see in the illustration, there have been 13 posts about the minutes, six about snow, five about gardening, etc.  Clicking on the keyword, such as snow, takes you to a list of the six posts on snow.  From here you can view the individual posts.  It is possible that a single post can cover multiple topics so it might be listed in more than one topic.

Finally, I've added a link in the links list to the Trash Pickup status.  Clicking on this link will tell you whether our trash will be picked up on Monday or whether, due to a holiday or weather conditions, it will be picked up at a later time.

I hope you find these new features useful.  As always, if you have a comment please click on the "Comment(s) link below or send me an email.

---

Not long ago I reported on the new features of the invernessvillage.org website (link in sidebar).  In addition to those feature I've created a new communication channel for all Inverness Forest residents.  Until now, if you had an issue you wanted to discuss your only option was to send me an email and ask me to post your email on my Inverness Forest Today blog.  There was no way to raise and discuss issues on your own.  I've solved that problem by creating a Google group located at http://groups.google.com/group/invernessforest/  I'll be inviting everyone on my mailing list to join the group, but you don't have to wait to be invited.  One of the options you will have when you click on this link is to "Sign in and apply for membership".  

If you already have a gmail account or use any google service (Picasa, Google Calendar, Google Docs, YouTube, Google Groups, Blogger, Google Reader, etc.) then you can use your google sign in/password to access the invernessforest group.  If you don't already have any of these google accounts, you'll be asked to create a new google account.

As a member of the group you will be able to send mail to the group's email address, which will, in turn, be sent to every member of the group.  Don't worry about spam.  No sales pitches for used cars will be allowed.  You will also be able to upload photos and other files to the group so that all group members can see them.

Harvey

iftblog@gmail.com
---------------------

Urgent Help Needed for E. Herbert

Update: The campaign to reinstate Eddie was successful!  Channel 7 run a story on how Inverness Forest residents were able to get Eddie back his job.  Lots of footage of our townhouses too.  Here is the link to the TV segment:

http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0210/710307_video.html?ref=newsstory

Adele Gravitz has started a campaign to have the Washington Post newspaper deliverer, Eddie Herbert, reinstated after his superior fired him for, it is alleged, not delivering newspapers during the blizzard. Adele writes:

Dear Inverness Forest Community,

Eddie just knocked at my door to say good-bye explaining that he was fired from his job of delivering our Washington Post newspapers for "not showing up to work for 10 days" during the blizzard!  This is the man who never missed a day since 1974!   This is the man who finds lost things and returns them to us.  This is the man who shoveled my walk during the blizzard.  Did he shovel yours?  This is the man who silently cares for our community hours before any one of us is awake.

We must help him and here is how:

I propose we rally behind him in the voice of ONE solid community  and tell the distributor that if he does not hire Eddie  back, immediately, and with back lost wages, we--the entire Inverness Forest Community --- will cancel our Washington Post home delivery subscriptions.

This action  should get the attention of the distributor who fired him. 

I hope you will support this idea.  Please send me an email saying that unless Edward Herbert is rehired to deliver his entire former route,  the household at INSERT YOUR ADDRESS will suspend home delivery of the Washington Post.

Let's all remember that the Federal Government shut down, metro took days to be up and running, and sidewalks are still blocked.  If Eddie could not get here-- there was a darn good reason.

We must help him.

Sincerely,

Adele

Adele Gravitz, ASLA
StudioCattail
Landscape Architecture
8121 Inverness Ridge Road
Potomac, Maryland 20854

email: ahgravitz@aol.com

Adele added the following thought: 

I left a message for Steve telling him I plan to rally the entire community to stop their home delivery of the Post until Edward Herbert gets his job back, including any lost wages.

If you want to contact Eddie's boss:

Steve Curtin
1-301-604-6233
agent2104@washpost.com  

If you have any comments you'd like to share on this issue with the rest of the community, please click the word "Comment" below.


Harvey

iftblog@gmail.com
---------------------

Information on Ice Dams

Earlier I emailed everyone some information on ice dams from Board President Sharlene Shugarman.  I have received two more emails containing additional information.  This is a popular topic so I'm turning it into a blog post so that everyone with information can share it with the rest of us.

We now have almost 300 people on the email list for Inverness Forest Today.  So I have decided to make it easier to use the "Comment" link below.  I'm bypassing the "anti-spam" squiggly letters to make it easier to leave a comment.  Please use the Name/URL radio button (URL is optional)  See the first two comments for example.  Part of the value of a blog like this is that your comments make IFT better for everyone.

Here is Sharlene Shugarman's email on ice dams:

With the winter mega storm of 1996, we had to repair our living room ceiling due to ice dams on our roof.  It actually started a few days after the storm ended when the snow in the gutters started to melt.  I believe that by not having an opening at the bottom of the downspouts, at the ground level, cleared of snow and ice, the melted snow in the gutters backed up behind the roof shingles and the water then ran down the walls and settled onto our living room ceiling.  It was a mess and I remember others in this area having the same problem. 

So, I would suggest that those homeowners who do have roof gutters and downspouts clear a pathway for the melted snow. 

Please see the comments below for additional information.  Please use the link below (it says something like "3 comments" if you wish to view or leave comments.


Harvey
ifatreasurer@mac.com

Coping with the Today's Snow Storm

Several board members have contributed advice and information on coping with the next wave of snow expected today and tomorrow.  First we have a message from Board President Sharlene Shugarman:

Dear Inverness Residents:

We’re expecting to receive another big punch from Mother Nature. For Potomac, this afternoon, we may get 1 inch more snow, tonight, up to 8 inches and by tomorrow night 12-16 inches. I have some thoughts I want to share.

First, where is Emerald going to put all the new snow? This situation is going to be the most challenging I have ever seen here. We may have more trees falling on our cars and homes, water/ice damages to roofs and homes, residents becoming more anxious, loosing some civility with their neighbors about where to put the new snow and how and where cars are parked.

For any damages to your homes, such as community trees falling onto your personal property, please contact your own insurance agent to process any claims. This is what our HOA insurance agent has advised.

When it comes to parking and snow removal we all need to be Patient, Compassionate and Considerate where ever we can, not only for Emerald to do their work, but for ourselves and neighbors. There may be major inconveniences for the next few days but we’ll get through it.

Thank you,

Sharlene Shugarman

IFA President

---

The board wanted me to tell everyone how to remain calm and keep a positive and helpful attitude during the upcoming storm and its aftermath.  Unfortunately, no one told me what to say.  Telling you to remain calm is unlikely to be of much value when you're frustrated and annoyed.  So, here are some ideas, off the top of my head, on keeping calm:

1. Take a deep breath.  (I know that this sounds lame, but it really does help)
2. Take advantage of the enforced time at home to do something different.  One suggestion I heard was to write a poem.  Perhaps you can start with a line from one of Shelley's poems,  "If winter comes, can spring be far behind?"  There's no "if" about winter coming, but it might be calming to think about "can spring be far behind?"
3. Don't do unpleasant chores that you've been putting off, such as cleaning out a closet or doing your taxes.  You'll only get more frustrated.  Of course, if you like doing your taxes, then jump right in.
4. When you've done your own shoveling, help your neighbors, especially those who are older or not able to do much themselves.  Not only will you be doing a good deed, with a positive result for others and for you too, but you'll work off some frustration and it will be hard to be upset or angry when you're so very tired.  If you like this idea, I could use some help... (note that I crossed out that thought in case someone takes me seriously)
5. Seriously, if there are other people (or pets) in your house, realize that they too are upset and frustrated.  Instead of snapping at them and giving vent to your own frustration, try to be extra nice and find something positive to do together.

---

Sabine Dohrn is the board member in charge of snow removal. Sabine has some practical advice for what to do and not do:

SNOW REFLECTIONS>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

We would like to draw your attention to a situation that impacts all homeowners/residents in Inverness Village.

In two of our cul-de-sacs on the Inverness side several residents piled snow back on the roads after they had been plowed and cleared by Emerald.  While cleaning off their cars, they dumped the snow in the middle of the road probably expecting Emerald to come again to take care of it. 

Needless to say, this is very counterproductive and will drive the already very high cost of snow removal up even further.  Most residents did go the extra few steps to carry the snow out of the way.  We appeal to all residents to do the neighborly thing and do likewise; otherwise everybody has to pay for this extra service for a few. 

Thank you for your understanding.  We realize that it is a lot of hard work to shovel these amounts of snow and recommend to make use of the kids (and adults) who offer their services against modest fees.  You can also check out the website to find help with shoveling. Harvey kindly provided contact numbers for people who are willing to shovel.


Thank you for your cooperation
Stay dry and warm!
Sabine Dohrn, IFA Board, Snow Removal

---

Board Secretary Elliot Postow wanted me to remind everyone that the pickup of recycling has been cancelled for the entire week.  So if your bucket is outside, please bring it in before it is covered with an additional 10 - 20 inches of snow.  Emerald won't be able to shovel the sidewalks if there are recycling buckets in the way.

---

Please leave a comment below or send me an email if you have any additional suggestions.

Harvey
ifatreasurer@mac.com

A Warning and a Request for Shovelers

Warning:  The very heavy snow is causing trees in our community to come crashing down!  


Be very careful when walking under a tree!  Residents have reported hearing cracking noises from the trees overhead.  Be careful!

Please be careful when going out of your home in the next couple of days.  We have had a number of fallen tree limbs due to the heavy weight of the snow and it has become very Dangerous.  Also, please report any major tree limbs that have fallen onto our streets or sidewalks so we can have them removed. 

I was just watching a road crew on Bells Mill Rd. using a chain saw to cut up a tree that was blocking the road.  Please be careful near trees.

---

I've created an online spreadsheet to connect people who need help shoveling with people who are willing to pay for such help.  The link to this spreadsheet is below.  
We still need more people willing to shovel!  If you can help, please let me know (email address is below) and I'll be happy to pair you with someone who needs help.  If you need help, please send me an email and I'll put you on the list.
I will keep this information updated.  Here is the link to the online spreadsheet of snow shoveling connections:


http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=tcnMIRt45Qad0kQblPW7NOg&output=html


If any of this information is not correct, please send me an update.
When things settle down, I'd like to get some feedback from the people who participated so we can decide if this network is valuable to the community.



Harvey
ifatreasurer@mac.com

Another Blizzard Coming? Need Help?

The forecast for the next two days is for 12 to 20 inches of snow.  It sounds like a repeat of the Dec. 19, 2009 storm, which can be seen in the picture above.

Two people have offered to help residents who can't manage snow removal themselves.  If you are not physically able to handle the demands of a big storm, please let me know (email below) and I'll try to connect you with someone who is willing to help.  One person will shovel snow for anyone for a pre-determined price. Another will volunteer their time and effort to help someone who is truly needy as a community service.

If you would like to shovel snow for other residents (or have children who would like to do so) please let me know. Tell me if you are volunteering your time or wish to be paid.

Be safe!

Harvey
ifatreasurer@mac.com

Email from Amanda Kraiger

Amanda Kraiger, daughter of the late board president Art Glazer, has written an email describing an event to raise money to fight Kidney Cancer, the disease that caused her father's death. Here is Amanda's email:

Dear Friends -

As you know, my dad passed away from Kidney Cancer this December, so I organized something in his honor that brings people together and helps a good cause.

Please join me on Monday, March 1, 2010, from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. at the Science Club in Washington, D.C. to raise a glass in memory of Arthur Glazer and to raise money for the Kidney Cancer Association, a non-profit whose mission supports education, advocacy, and research.

Visit my Web page for more details on the event: https://www.z2systems.com/np/clients/kca/campaign.jsp?campaign=317&team=58&fundraiser=127759

If you cannot attend the fundraiser, please consider a donation through my Web page:https://www.z2systems.com/np/clients/kca/donation.jsp?campaign=317&team=58&fundraiser=127759

Please email me if you have any questions or to tell me whether you plan to attend.

Thank you for all of your support.

Sincerely,
Amanda Kraiger


* The Science Club is located at 1136 19th St NW (between M St NW & L St NW). Nearest Metro is Farragut North (Red line) or Farragut West (Blue, Orange lines).

Harvey
ifatreasurer@mac.com

IFA Website Upgraded & Dec 2009 Minutes Online

The official Inverness Forest Association website fell victim to a severe crash last year and many of our files were lost. Thanks to the hard work of Arne and Nicole Fleisher the website is now up and running under new software.

In addition to Arne and Nicole, Stephanie Cooperstein and I will be working on the website. One major problem with the official website (http://invernessvillage.org/) has been that, after the crash, most of the minutes were lost. Little by little I've been updating the Board Minutes section to bring it up to date. I've just added the minutes for Dec, 10, 2009.

I will continue to provide the complete set of minutes here at my blog, Inverness Forest Today. Look to the right in the sidebar for the link "Past Minutes & Other Files". You can find the Dec 10, 2009 baord meeting minutes at:

Dec 10, 2009 Minutes

Among the upgrades to the Inverness Forest Association official website is a revamped board member page, including the members of the committees. Another useful addition to the website is a section for Realtors and Settlement companies. If you are refinancing your mortgage, you will find the answers to many of the questions that realtors, lenders, and settlement companies ask in this section of the website. Feel free to direct your lender/realtor/settlement company to this section.

I welcome your suggestions for additional content on the official website. If you have any ideas for the website, please email me. And of course, here at Inverness Forest Today I will continue to keep you informed on what is going on in our community.


Harvey
ifatreasurer@mac.com