Villas of Arden Mills

In the past few days we were notified by Jack Ozanich of his pending retirement and the sale of Elite Management. Elite has been sold to Innova-tive Management of Cin-cinnati, Ohio. There has been no official date set for the formal takeover. Your Board does not be-lieve there is any reason for concern about this sale.

We have a contract with Elite Management that

will take us through the end of 2017.

Lou Bucci from Elite Management who has been involved with our community for several years will be our primary contact at the new com-pany. I am sure many of you know Lou who has conducted several of our monthly Board meetings and a couple of the An-nual Board meetings. Lou is also now a partner in the new ownership

group and has assured us they will continue to pro-vide our community with the same support and responsiveness as they have in the past.

The procedures for how we handle any problems questions, issues, etc. will remain the same. Our first contact should be with Elite or the new company whenever that transition takes place.

Special points of in-terest:

Soup Night………..2nd

Social Committee.….6

Building & Roads….13

Board Planning……..16

Finance Committee...21

Board Meeting……….23

Social News and Notes Kay Richards

Well, here we are again: February Hot Soups Night!!! On Thursday, February 2 at 5:30 p.m., we will have our first soup night of 2017. As usual, our ladies step for-ward and volunteer with their home-made soups for the occasion and we could not be more grate-ful! The soups truly make the evening ‘delicious’. It has be-come our tradition to have a soup night in No-vember and in February

each year.

We have planned a con-genial event with several games and our “Good Prize, Bad Prize” awards. The evening is special because of the food that is offered through the generosity of our lady volunteers along with salad, a varie-ty of breads and a des-sert. This two-hour get-together is always a fun time and we look for-ward to seeing many of you there.

Please find attached to this newsletter the annu-al social event calendar which the committee prepared and the board approved. It’s helpful if you find a place to post it in your home so you will always be aware and never miss an event. (I post it inside a cabinet door as I don’t need it out on display.)

Clubhouse Carpet 2

Refurbished Business

Signs

2

February 2017 2

Autopsy Waterline

Break

3

Did you Know 3

Doorbell / Photocel

Notice

4

Story Of St. Valen-

tines Day

5

Ladies Card Luncheon 5

Social Calendar 2017 6

Inside this issue:

Management Changes Your VOAM Board

Villas Experience

February 2017 Volume 11, Issue 2

We as a community are very proud of our Clubhouse. Many visitors and purveyors are im-pressed and comment on how nice it is. The Clubhouse is circa 10 years old and some parts and areas are showing wear and tear. Some of these are being addressed such as replacing the side door when it showed signs of deterioration. We are also noticing that it is get-ting harder and harder to keep the carpet presentable and the Reserve Fund’s date for replacement is

several years away. We have de-cided to have the carpet profes-sionally cleaned twice a year, the first scheduled for February along with the bathroom floors. We are going to be more vigilant about tracked-in dirt and spills in be-tween the cleanings. We are ask-ing that anyone having a social or gathering to take care of any obvi-ous debris and spills on the carpet too. The sooner these things are addressed the better. There is a carpet stain cleaner under the sink

which is easy to use. We are hop-ing these measures will improve the looks and life of the carpet. We will greatly appreciate your help.

The Clubhouse is a great place for people to gather socially which is its purpose; so spills, wear and tear will happen. Optimistically, with a little more effort, we can retard the effect.

4 wednesdays, 4 thursdays, 4 fridays & 4 saturdays. This happens once every 823 years. This is called money bags.

February 2017 Calendar structure will not occur again in your life-time. February 2017 has: (Yes...I checked the Yearly Calendar) 4 sundays, 4 mondays, 4 tuesdays,

The Clubhouse Carpet Clubhouse Committee

February 2017

face. The results are striking. Ex-cellent clarity at night. The logos can be replaced later. These trial signs are in place at Buildings 1, 2, 16, 25 and 28. We recently com-pleted Buildings 3, 4, 27, 29, 30 and 31. We will complete the bal-ance of Phase I in the next couple of months. Thanks to Gerry Phipps, Denny Dembrak, Jim Ha-zi, Allan Junker, and Dave Cicconi for this round of signs.

Our building signs have become difficult to read from the street be-cause the recessed white numbers & arrows have become weathered and mildewed. Attempts to clean the signs were not satisfactory. We previously conducted a trial refurbishment of 5 signs. The trial involved the removal of the logo, the painting and insertion of re-flective beads into the numbers & arrows, and the painting of the sur-

Refurbished Building Signs Ron Richards

Page 2 Villas Experience

Buildings & Roads will create and provide personnel for an Emergen-cy Response Team for water is-sues. Documentation changes be-cause of this water line issue will provide procedures and drawings that will enable us to respond quickly to future events. We will document all aspects of the Villas of Arden Mills water delivery sys-tem from the Meter Pit to a resi-dent’s main water shutoff valve in their utility closet. There will be procedures for addressing: issues prior to the meter that are the re-sponsibility of Pa. American Wa-ter Co., issues with the water main lines, issues with lines from the main to the curb box, and issues with lines from the curb box to the Unit utility closet.

We have been working on this for several years. Locating and docu-menting the location of all curb boxes was our first endeavor. We have found all but 4 curb boxes. All that we have found are docu-mented and stored for Association & resident use on the web site. We purchased and maintain in the Clubhouse, the various shutoff equipment. We and the Grounds Committee tested all the fire hy-drants. We are currently docu-menting the master building

shutoff locations. This Event has provided a better understanding of the location and use of the various shutoff valves. It highlighted an issue with the gate valve in front of the Clubhouse which will re-quire some repair. This year, we hope to find the last 4 curb boxes, or document how to respond when no curb box is present. We will be working on the above-mentioned procedures as well.

Specific concerns from this Event

What is the possibility of this happening again at another loca-tion? It is possible, because little care was taken during the original backfill operation. Should we in-vest in “insurance” by placing monies in the Reserve for such a possibility? No. This type of an event has a very low probability and thus would not merit that ac-tion.

Is there a timelier way to inform residents of an issue like this? Yes. One of the members of the emergency response team will be responsible for communication with the residents via the email system. During this event, we were too involved in dealing with the issue to begin communications earlier.

Do we have the on-site expertise/tools to deal with an issue like this? Yes. Jim Hazi, Gerry Phipps and Ron Richards dealt with this event. With planning, procedures, updated drawings, and “fire drills”, the emergency re-sponse team will address future water line issues. The tools that are stored in the Clubhouse are adequate to address containing an event like this.

Do we have the contractors iden-tified to perform the necessary repairs? Yes. Elite Management has identified several capable con-tractors who can perform the nec-essary repairs. McKean Plumbing performed well enough to be our first contact for availability in a future emergency.

During an event like this, is there sufficient authority availa-ble to authorize expenditures? Yes. Elite Management is current-ly authorized to make emergency expenditure decisions. They were on site during this event. Jack Ozanich and Ron consulted on each step that required expenditure of funds. George Rose, Board President, was available during the event as well. The emergency re-sponse team will have this same expenditure support.

Autopsy—Waterline Break— Clubhouse Ron Richards

Volume 11, Issue 2 Page 3

If you are right handed, you will tend to chew your food on the right side of your mouth.

If you are left handed, you will tend to chew your food on the left side of your mouth.

To make half a kilo of honey, bees must collect nectar from over 2 million individual flowers.

DID YOU KNOW????

During our Building inspections, Buildings & Roads volunteers may find conditions that exist on the outside of your Unit that are not the responsibility of the Associa-tion to address. We have not noti-fied you of these conditions in the early inspections as it was felt that you would see these and take the necessary steps. We have now found repeat conditions and have concluded that you may not be aware that these are your responsi-bility or just have not noticed the condition due to our busy lives. So, in the interest of public ser-vice, we are now sending Notices to residents on these conditions. Some Notices will be advisory in nature and some will request you correct the condition in a reasona-ble time. Most of these will in-volve the safety of you and anyone visiting your Unit or the overall safety for the Community. Most Notices will be issued on lighting, doorbells, photocells, personal landscape, or sidewalks.

Doorbells

Each doorbell has a back lit push button. Over time the light will fail. Some doorbell button casings are cracked. Should the button become lodged in the cracked cas-ing, it may cause a short in the in-side doorbell unit. This is a larger expense than the simple replace-ment of the doorbell button.

The 2016 Building Inspections of 56 units in Buildings 1 thru 19, indicated that 19 of these had some issue present on the doorbell. 18 of these were reported as “light burned out”. 1 had a cracked cas-ing. The 2015 Building Inspec-tions of 40 units in Buildings 34 thru 43, indicated that 11 of these

had the “light burned out” issue. 0 had a cracked casing. The 2014 Building Inspections of 40 units in Buildings 20 thru 33, indicated 15 of these had the “light burned out” issue. 0 had a cracked casing. During these inspections, we also noted that several of the doorbells had been replaced by the resident.

The Association suggests that each resident examine their doorbell. Should you wish to have it re-placed, we will arrange for this, or you may replace it yourself. We suggest that you use a product from Home Depot that is depicted below. It costs $12.97 and is an easy install. Dave Dillon has quot-ed a $40 price for a quantity of 1 and a better price should we have multiple units done at the same time. Dave will also touchup the door trim paint after the install. We will accept orders for new doorbells during February and se-cure a price from Dave for your final OK prior to arranging for the replacement. Please advise Ron Richards at

kayrichards50@comcast.net if you wish us to have it replaced for you.

Photocells

Photocells are the apparatus that senses when it is dark and turns your garage light on and when it is light again, turns the garage light off. The garage area lighting is an essential part of our overall Com-munity safety. The photocell has about a 10-year life. We are in the 11th year of our Community. Sev-eral have been replaced already. The photocell can fail in the open or closed position. In the open po-sition, it does not turn the light on at dark. In the closed position, the

light stays on all day.

The Association suggests that each resident examine their garage light to assure the photocell is working. If the garage light is not going out during the day, the photocell needs replaced. If the garage light is not coming on after it is dark, first try changing the bulb to be sure it is not just a burned-out bulb. If the new light does not work, probably the photocell needs replaced. It is possible that the fixture has an is-sue. You may need expert help at this point.

The photocell is located on the overhang (soffit) near the end of the gutter. It is a small round ob-ject about 3 inches long and 2 inches in diameter. The photocell is a simple replacement. You can buy it for $8.98 + tax. You will need to locate the circuit breaker in the electric panel and turn it off before installing the new photo-cell. Locating the circuit breaker is easy, if the garage door light is constantly on. Once you turn off the correct circuit breaker, the light will go off. The Product is available from Lowe's. See at-tached product picture.

Dave Dillon has quoted a $50 price for a quantity of 1 and a bet-ter price should we have multiple units done at the same time. We will accept orders for new photo-cells during February and secure a price from Dave for your final OK prior to arranging for the replace-ment. Please advise Ron Richards at kayrichards50@comcast.net if you wish us to have it replaced for you.

Pictures of the products needed are on the following page.

Doorbell / Photocell Notices Ron Richards

Volume 11, Issue 2 Page 4

nus read stories of Rome's history to her. He described the world of nature to her. He taught her arith-metic and told her about God. She saw the world through his eyes, trusted his wisdom, and found comfort in his quiet strength. "Valentinus, does God really hear our prayers?" Julia asked one day. "Yes, my child, He hears each one." "Do you know what I pray for every morning and every night? I pray that I might see. I want so much to see everything you've told me about!" "God does what is best for us if we will only believe in Him," Valentinus said. "Oh, Valentinus, I do believe! I do!" She knelt and grasped his hand. They sat quietly together, each praying. Suddenly there was a brilliant light in the prison cell. Radiant, Julia screamed, "Valentinus, I can see! I can see!"

"The story of Valentine's Day be-gins in the third century with an oppressive Roman emperor and a humble Christian Martyr. The emperor was Claudius II. The Christian was Valentinus. Claudius had ordered all Romans to worship twelve gods, and had made it a crime punishable by death to associate with Chris-tians. But Valentinus was dedi-cated to the ideals of Christ; not even the threat of death could keep him from practicing his be-liefs. He was arrested and impris-oned. During the last weeks of Valenti-nus's life a remarkable thing hap-pened. Seeing that he was a man of learning, the jailer asked wheth-er his daughter, Julia, might be brought to Valentinus for les-sons. She had been blind since birth. Julia was a pretty young girl with a quick mind. Valenti-

"Praise be to God!" Valentinus exclaimed, and he knelt in prayer. On the eve of his death Valentinus wrote a last note to Julia, urging her to stay close to God. He signed it, "From your Valen-tine." His sentence was carried out the next day, February 14, 270 A.D., near a gate that was later named Porta Valentini in his memory. He was buried at what is now the Church of Praxedes in Rome. It is said that Julia planted a pink-blossomed almond tree near his grave. Today, the almond tree remains a symbol of abiding love and friendship. On each February 14, Saint Valentine's Day, messag-es of affection, love, and devotion are exchanged around the world."

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY

The Story of Valentine’s Day

Doorbell Information from Home Depot:

Photocell Information from Lowe’s:

Hampton Bay Wired Lighted Door Bell

Push Button, Brushed Nickel

Model # HB-256-02

$12.97

TORK Photocell Button

Item # 753666 Model # RKP301

$8.98

Ladies Card Luncheon

The first Friday Card Lunch will be February 3 at Franco's. Please meet at the clubhouse at 11:30 to carpool. We will be playing cards at the clubhouse after lunch. Let Nancy Hazi know by January 30th if you will be going. jwhazi@msn.com 724-916-4956.

VOAM SOCIAL CALENDAR 2017

Soup Night Thursday February 2, 2017 @ 5:30 pm

Pasta Night Thursday March 16, 2017 @ 5:30 pm

Surprise Social Thursday April 20, 2017

Memorial Day Picnic Monday May 29, 2017 @ 4:00 pm.

Volunteers Dinner Wednesday June 14, 2017 @ 5:30 pm

July 4th Picnic Tuesday July 4th, 2017 @ 4:00 pm.

Ice Cream & Bingo Thursday August 24, 2017 after Board Meeting

Labor Day Picnic Monday September 4, 2017 @ 4:00 pm.

Ladies Night Tuesday October 17th @ 7:00 pm

Soup Night Thursday November 9th @ 5:30 pm

Tree Decorating Friday November 17th @ 10:00 am.

Christmas Gala Friday December 1st @ 7:00 pm